Wolfblind
by ElderSkie
Summary: When a set of unfortunate circumstances ends up with her joining the Companions of Whiterun, Raelyn questions whether the somethings are really worth what they cost. With the help of her new family, she finds purpose, friendship, and maybe even a little love. She finds in her heart what she never thought to look for.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: This will be relatively boring chapter! Feel free to skip, as it is only the Helgen introduction scene. There are of course some differences, and you'll be a little confused next chapter but nothing that won't be cleared in a few paragraphs. See you next chapter?_**

* * *

_I ran to the river and dove straight in_

_I prayed the water would drown out the din_

_But as the water filled my mouth_

_It couldn't wash the echoes out_

_But as the water filled my mouth_

_It couldn't wash the echoes out_

"_Drumming Song – Florence + The Machine"_

I was not having the best of days.

I cracked open my eyelids and cast a feeble detect life spell to make up for my useless eyes. My head pounded with a vengeance, as if my brain was revolting and trying to escape my skull. I tried to lift my hand to check if there was any blood, and promptly discovered that my wrists were bound together with rough leather bindings. The skin was raw and tender around them, and I knew if I pulled against them much more I would only hurt myself.

"Hey! You're finally awake!"

My head shot up at the sound, and my spell provided the details my eyes could not. The glowing outline of a stocky man, positioned in a way that made it apparent his words were directed at me. His hands were tied as well, but his friendliness seemed strange in the sticky situation we were in.

"You were crossing the border too, eh? Walked right into that Imperial ambush. The name's Ralof…" He continued cheerily, ignoring my silence. I was too busy trying to figure out why I was bound and stuck on a rickety wagon with a bunch of strange men. I heard voices calling out to their superiors, and then the horrifying words that clarified everything. Stormcloak prisoners.

_Lovely._

"Damn you rebels!" Another occupant of the wagon, a scrawny, hunched man spat at Ralof. "The Empire was nice and lazy before you came along. I could've had that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell by now."

I raised a brow. He was nothing but a petty horse-thief, and I didn't have the patience to listen to his complaints.

"We're all sisters and brothers in binds now, horse-thief." Ralof said, shaking his head sadly. The man sitting next to me grunted irritably. He was out of place among us, a large, finely dressed man among beat-up prisoners. I shivered, feeling the sharp wind cut at my bare arms. We were dressed in rags; I would give anything for the thick furs that the man was wearing. I noticed he was also different in that he had a piece of cloth around his head, gagging him. Hence the grunting.

"What's his problem?" The horse-thief whined.

"Watch your tongue!" Ralof's friendly tone was gone, replaced by stinging anger. "That's Ulfric Stormcloak, true High King of Skyrim!"

I felt all the blood drain from my face, and the horse-thief made a strangled sound of terror. He put my horror in words. "The leader of the rebellion? If they've captured you… oh Divines, where are they taking us?"

I sat back, trying to drink in the fact that I was probably going to die soon. Ulfric was the definition of a traitor to the Empire- and traitors are executed. If we were with him, then there was only one logical way this could end.

_Way to go. _I berated myself. _You should have listened to Borir. 'Just wait for the war to be over' he said… 'It'll be fine!' I said…_

A bitter laugh slipped from my throat._ I suppose the war will be over soon…_

The two men across from me had continued their conversation, but I hadn't been paying attention. It wasn't until Ralof announced that we were at the end of the line that I realized my spell had faded in my panic. I cast it once more, and scanned the area. Several tall forms were mounted on horses, pointed ears and billowing robes telling me they were probably Thalmor. When the carriage lurched to a stop I felt the overwhelming panic start to rush over me. _This really is the end. There's no one to save me now._

Imperial soldiers were everywhere, keeping order among the prisoners in the square , calling to one another and yelling orders to the rebels. They called us one at a time, announcing our name and hometown. Ralof of Riverwood. Ulfric Stormcloak, jarl of Windhelm.

When they called the horse-thief, he was less than thrilled.

"Lokir of Rorikstead!"

"No!" Lokir cried. "You can't do this! I'm not a rebel!" He shot panicked glances around then town, then he suddenly bolted down the cobble road away from us.

It was not a wise decision. A prompt call for archers from the captain sent a volley of arrows raining towards him, and no amount of running would save him. He collapsed with a agonized cry, and lay still on the cold stones. I held back a wave of nausea as I watched the life force vanish from him. Perhaps if I stayed stoic in these final moments I may at least gain entrance into Sovngarde.

When I stepped forward, the Imperial only looked at me with confustion. "Who… who are you?"

So I _wasn't _supposed to be here. I shifted uncomfortably, feeling all nearby attention directing itself at me. "My name is Raeyln. I'm from Cheydinhal."

The man tilted his head, and I supposed that he was probably leering at my face. "You don't look Imperial."

I sighed inwardly. I didn't know exactly what I looked like, but I'd gotten the comment enough times to know that I wouldn't fool anybody into thinking I was anything other than the Breton I was. I shook my head. "I'm Breton. We moved to Cyrodiil when I was young."

He nodded, and turned to the tall woman beside him. "She's not on the list!" He said quietly.

"Forget the list!" The woman practically barked at him. "She goes to the block!"

I held back a venomous retort, and the soldier turned back to me. "Sorry miss. We'll make sure your remains are returned to your family."

I shot a hateful glance at the woman, and followed the man to a central area. I could smell blood and metal, and could make out a hooded figure in the center of the square. He was holding a large axe. We were going to be beheaded.

The first man went bravely. He snapped at the priestess overseeing our deaths, and stepped up to the block with barely a quiver. He knelt, and with a horrible swooshing sound, the axe came down. I shuddered as for a split second the outline of his head separated from his body, and then his figure vanished.

"Next, Raelyn of Cheydinhal!"

So soon? I wanted to cry, to fight, to do _something_, but I was powerless. I stepped forward, unsure where to kneel, but the soldiers did the work for me, shoving me to the ground and pressing my head down on a sickeningly slick surface. The warm wetness pressed on my cheek, and I clenched my eyes uselessly against what I knew was coming. I waited.

But it never came.

There was a monstrous roar, and someone screamed. "What in Oblivion is that?" One of the soldiers yelled. I opened my eyes just in time to see a huge figure swoop down from the sky. I couldn't believe what I was- or was not, more appropriately- seeing. A massive beast with a long neck and huge head. It perched on the top of one of the towers as if it was a tree branch, and let out a strange call. Impossibly, a wave of pure force emanated from its gaping maw, knocking me away from my position at the block. I lay dazed for a moment before a familiar voice came over me.

"Get up, Breton! Get to the tower!" It was Ralof. I looked up, and was swiftly pulled to my feet by a pair of strong hands. A small shove sent me tumbling in the right direction, and I found my way into the tower Ralof had mentioned.

There was several more people in the room. One was on the floor, another figure kneeling over her. I looked on sadly as the light of her life-force faded slowly, becoming dimmer and dimmer until it puttered out. I was about to give my condolences to the man huddled over her body when a boom rocked the tower. I could feel heat on my face, and rocks crashed above us. The creature, which I stubbornly refused to believe was the dragon that I knew it was, must have broken through a higher level. I found my way to the stairs, climbing them quickly. I felt a breeze, and stumbled to a stop before a gaping hole in the wall. Ralof appeared behind me.

"We have to jump."He said somberly, and I peered out of the tower, hoping to see someone on the ground.

"Can you help me?" I asked, not wanting to give anything away about my blindness. "I might not make it." No answer came, but I felt him lift me up, and suddenly I was airborne, sailing through the burning air. I landed hard on a wood floor, and heard Ralof thump down behind me. I pushed myself to my feet, trailing after him as the descended a set of stairs to the bottom floor of house, and then leading us onto the street. I couldn't quite process what was happening. Screams echoed around me, the smell of smoke and blood filled my nose, and lives blinked out too quickly around me.

"Still alive prisoner? Stay with me if you want to stay that way." It was the soldier who had shown some pity for me. I trailed after him, not knowing what else I could do, and prayed to every Divine and Daedra I knew of to help us.

"Get down!" I fell to my knees as the dragon swooped down on top of us, landing on the wall I was leaning against. He released another strange call, and intense heat blistered my arms as I raised them to protect myself. Before I could recover I had been shoved forward again, and I ran helplessly after the soldiers form. It wasn't until we came to a large courtyard that, in better times, probably would have been beautiful. Now I could hear the flames heating at the buildings around us, smell the ash floating in the choked air. Another form was waiting by the intimidating form of the keep. Ralof's voice came above the clamor.

"Get out of my way, Hadvar! You can't stop us from escaping this time!"

I shook my head. How could they argue about the law when death and fire rained around us. I blindly made my way towards the nearest man, who I discovered to be Ralof. I heard heavy doors swing open, and was pulled into an empty room. I realized it wasn't quite empty when Ralof sighed sadly. He knelt over a body, saying a small prayer. He turned to me.

"Take her equipment. You'll get more use out of it than her, now." I felt his hands grab my wrists, and with a swift flick of his knife the bindings loosened and fell to the floor.

I looked down. I couldn't hide it anymore, and I felt the shame fill me. "I… I don't know where the body is."

He turned, staring at me. "What? You can't…" He went quiet. "Oh."

I felt my face get hot as he said the words I hated most of all. "You're blind."

He moved towards the wall, picking through something, and thrust several pieces of armor and a short sword towards me. "Well if you've made it this far then you've done well. May as well have some protection." I nodded my thanks, pulling the chainmail shirt over my rags and holding the sword comfortably in my left hand. It had been a while, but hopefully I still had the skills my father had taught me when I was younger.

Ralof stepped away towards the wall and pulled something, a switch or lever of some kind. I heard a creaking of metal and knew I had been correct. I stepped around him, preparing to step through the door.

"There's a wall right beyond-"

"I can get around perfectly fine." I snapped. It was unintentionally hostile. Even I didn't quite know how I managed to find my way around, but I very rarely became completely disoriented in a room or area, at least only a little more than someone with true sight. My father said I just had excellent spatial awareness; I liked to attribute some of it to my spells.

He went silent, and my small amount of guilt made me let him take point. We came upon some more Legion soldiers, but these men were not nearly as friendly as Hadvar had been. They charged us, and I whipped the blade across the nearest soldier's chest. I would never be as skilled as someone with sight, but I could hold my own even against a decent swordsman. His life force disappeared from my vision, and I turned to see Ralof standing over two quickly dimming bodies. He regarded me coolly, and I felt a spark of pride.

We continued through the keep, until we finally broke from the stone walls into a natural cavern. An earthshaking crash shook the cave, and we both whirled in the direction we had come. I didn't know exactly what had happened, but it was clear the there was no exit where there had been several moments ago. Ralof described the scene pretty well with the string of curses that erupted from him. "Well we're not going back the way we came, that's for sure."

This terrain was considerably more difficult for me to traverse. I couldn't sense the ground underfoot, and fell several times, soon becoming soaked from the freezing creek running through the cave. When we came upon a area crawling with frostbite spiders I spent more time tripping around the cavern, watching the spindly forms of the spiders hissing at Ralof while he quickly dispatched them. By the time we finally made it to the open air outside, I felt thoroughly useless. All the pride from my earlier success was gone, and I was just grateful to have a semi-smooth road under my feet.

"I think we're the only ones who made it out." Ralof said, an edge of regret in his voice. I wondered if he wished he had invited Hadvar to come with us. There had been an undertone of familiarity between them, and whatever conflicts had arisen Ralof didn't seem like the kind of person to wish a horrible death on someone.

"Riverwood is down this road. Gerder will probably take us in for the night, and we can split in the morning. I'll be headed to Windhelm; You should come by someday if you wish to help the Stormcloaks in our efforts."

His words were kindly meant, but I knew what he was most likely thinking. _How could a blind woman barely up to my shoulder help the war effort_? I decided to take them as given.

"Perhaps I will." I said, summoning the most gracious smile I could muster. We stood awkwardly for a moment, before I started down the road ahead of him. He hurried after me, but the only obstacle we encountered on the road was a few wolves, which we easily dispatched. When Ralof let out a relieved sigh and the smell of cooking smoke drifted to me I knew we had come upon Riverwood.

As we entered town, I felt the eyes of the townspeople on us. No wonder, of course. We were scratched and bloody, covered in soot and dirt. My armor didn't feel like it fit quite right, and it probably didn't look like it did either. When a tall woman ushered us into a cozy farmhouse, and we found ourselves in the warm embrace of a temporary home, the day caught up with me. Exhaustion hit me like a massive wave, and if I could see, blackness probably would've descended in the final moments before I collapsed into unconsciousness.

**Eh? Eh?**

**Lots of action-type stuff this chapter, although not really battles. Please leave constructive criticism and anything else you would like in a review! Love all mah readers **

**~ElderSkie**

**(Clarification: Raelyn, our Breton friend is blind but uses a variation of a detect life to "see". She can see simple outlines of creatures, if they're holding anything, simple things like that. She can't see anything else, but has a sort of awareness that keeps her from running into walls. That's about it however; Other than that she's completely blind.)**


	2. Chapter 2

_And I started to hear it again_

_But this time it wasn't the end_

_And the room was so quiet, oh_

_And my heart is a hollow plain _

_For the devil to dance again_

_And the room was too quiet, oh_

"_Breath of Life – Florence + the Machine"_

* * *

I dreamed.

More accurately, I had nightmares. I knew people who survived traumatic experiences often had them, but it was usually viewed as a bad thing. I savored them.

Because when I dreamed, I could see.

I could _see _the white-hot flames licking at my arms. I could _see _the crystal water soaking my clothing. It was all very vague, as I had no knowledge of the details of the town we were in, or the appearance of any of the people. But it was as near as I had been in years, and I took the fear gladly.

Which is why when I was shaken gently awake I was extremely angry.

I cast my spell even before moving to swat away the offending person. It was the figure of a tall woman, probably the woman who had taken us in when we had arrived in Riverwood. She leaned over me, recoiling as my hand shot out towards her arm.

"Why did you wake me?" I said, struggling to keep my voice even.

"You were having nightmares, crying out in your sleep-"She sounded startled.

I turned my head away. "I know." Guilt flooded through me. I had no real reason to be angry. She, by all rights, had thought she was helping.

She stood. "Ralof left this morning. He told me of how you helped him at Helgen, and that I should help you until you're ready to move on. There's food from breakfast on the table, when you get up." I looked back to her at these words.

"Ralof must not of told you…" I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my words.

"What?"

"I can't see."

I was glad I couldn't see her face. She stood completely still for a moment, before shuffling away towards the sound of the fire. "No, he didn't." She sounded just as annoyed as I was. I couldn't blame her. She probably thought he had just saddled her with another mouth to feed. She ladled something into a bowl, and came back over to me. "Can you feed yourself?" I nodded, and she placed the bowl in my lap, guiding my hand to a carved wooden spoon. I listened to her work around the room in silence while I ate the contents of the bowl, a fragrant venison stew. When I finished I set the bowl on the bed beside me and fumbled for the furs, trying to untangle my legs. I twisted, finding the edge of the bed and testing for the floor with my newly released feet.

"I'll leave as soon as I have some supplies to get me on my way." I announced as I stood shakily.

She whirled to face me, and must have panicked at the sight of me trying to navigate the room. "What? But where will you go? How will you-"She wisely cut off the last question.

"I have spells to see creatures." I offered in explanation. "I have my sword from Helgen. I can defend myself just fine. I'll hire someone to help me get to the next city. Whiterun in only half a day from here, isn't it?" I racked my brain, trying to remember the maps I had seen of this region.

"I…" She was obviously hesitant. "I suppose so. When you're ready I'll take you to the inn, then. Sven owes me a few favors; He can lead you there." And so it was settled. Gerder gave me some old armor of hers, and a few emergency potions. I put on the armor, which fit me surprisingly well, and we had one last meal before she took me to the inn.

Almost as soon as the heavy wooden doors swung open the smell of greasy food and alcohol hit me. I was debating whether to be disgusted or not when Gerder called out across the tavern. "Sven! C'mere a minute, will you?" The reaction to her voice was instantaneous. By the way all the rowdy men drinking settled and went quiet I could tell that they respected this woman. The bard playing his lute, standing away from the rest of the men, approached us, and Gerder ushered us all back outside.

"You owe me quite a bit Sven. Here's an opportunity to act on it." She said to him once we were standing on the covered porch outside the door. She gestured at me. "I'd have you guide her to Whiterun."

He turned to me. "If you ask, alright. But why can't she get there herself? The road is clear, and doesn't fork between Riverwood and Whiterun."

Gerder let out an angry huff, and I resisted letting one out as well. "I'll cut to the chase, then. I'm blind, and need to get to Whiterun. I only need someone to show me the road."

Sven stepped back. "Hey now. I didn't agree to any bodyguard sevices-"

"She can defend herself just fine." Gerder snapped at him. "She's the one who helped Ralof out of Helgen last night."

This seemed to jar him. "Her? But how- aw, nevermind. I'll do it, as long as you can take care of yourself. No holding on to my shirt or anything, right."

Gods, this man was infuriating. "Agreed." I growled through gritted teeth. "Now let's get moving, or the city will rot and fall before we get there."

Gerder put a hand on my shoulder. "Do me a service. Go to the jarl and tell him about the dragon attack. He needs to know that this danger has returned." I nodded, and she turned to Sven's impatiently shuffling form. "And you. Stay with her until she finds somewhere to stay. I'll expect a report on the jarl's response." He agreed as well, although a bit huffily. With that, we were off.

I supposed I might have been able to find my way myself, if I had concentrated hard enough on keeping the rounded stones of the road beneath my feet. But not only would it have taken ages longer, I would be hard pressed to also pay attention for the wildlife that could potentially harm me on my way. Namely, the three wolves that attacked us only about half a mile down the road from Riverwood. Sven let out a choked curse as the svelte forms of the wolves leaped from above us landing growling in front of us. But it was trivial to defeat them. Two focused slashes from my borrowed sword and one of his arrows quickly put them out of commission. Sven continued on even before the last one's heart stopped beating. He was obviously in a hurry to finish the job and rid himself of me.

I didn't mind. We walked briskly as I could manage, after a few hours of walking he announced that he could see Dragonsreach, and that it would be only another half hour or so until we arrived. True to his word, the ground underfoot soon turned to the smoother stones and wooden planks of the road right outside the major cities. I listened to our hollow footsteps as we walked over a short bridge. There were horses and guards standing above us on what I assumed were watchtowers. One of them stepped forward.

"Halt. No one is to enter the city, orders of the jarl." He said gruffly.

"I bring new of Helgen." I replied, hoping that it would convince him of my urgency.

"What? You were at Helgen?" He seemed much more willing to oblige now. "Alright, I guess you can go in then. But no funny business!"

He stepped away and I could hear the heavy gates opening. We stepped forward, and were suddenly surrounded by people. I could almost use the flow of people walking as a guide to the streets, and it surprised me how large it was. It must have been at least close in size to Cheydinhal.

"To Dragonsreach, then, to speak with the jarl." Sven said, nudging me a bit to get me moving. I followed him hesitantly, a bit overwhelmed with the amount of people. He led me across the city, past a priest loudly praising Talos, a few beggars, and up a steep set of stairs. When we stepped through another set of doors I could almost feel how massive the room was. I could hear our footsteps echoing hollowly, and Sven subtly guided me up yet another, much smaller staircase, before a small elfish woman stopped us.

"What business do you have here?" She said crossly. "The jarl is busy."

"I have news of the dragon attack at Helgen." I offered once again. It had worked on the guard, after all.

"Ah." She seemed to stand straighter. "Then come with me. He'll wish to speak with you at once."

A burly man was lounging across from me, his head turned towards a much smaller man standing to the side. After the elf whispered urgently in his ear, he turned to me. "So you were at Helgen."

"Yes." I nodded affirmatively. "I was there when the dragon attacked. It was last seen flying this way."

He sighed. "This is troubling news." He turned to the elf again. "Irileth, double guards at all the watchtowers…" He continued giving orders while I stood awkwardly shifting my weight foot to foot. Sven had been left by the stairs, barred by Irileth because he had not witnessed the attack.

When he finally turned back to me my mind had gone elsewhere. His short _harrumph _quickly brought me back.

"You've done well." He said. "And, if you're interested, I have a job for someone of… your talents."

I nodded slowly. I hadn't any idea where this could be going, and didn't want to agree too quickly.

"Come with me." He stood. "I'll have Farengar give you the details."

As it turned out, it was not something for 'my talents' at all. They wanted me to go into some Gods-forsaken barrow and retrieve some draconic artifact. But to my immense displeasure they didn't even ask me if I could do it; Farengar simply patted my shoulder, and told me to "get to it."

As soon as Sven and I had returned to the stairs outside Dragonsreach I let an angry growl slip from my throat. I kicked at the ground, and to my satisfaction heard a muffled _splash _as whatever I had kicked hit water far below. Sven was just as angry.

"What were you thinking?" He practically yelled at me. "You're going to get yourself killed as soon as you step out of Whiterun! This is a job for a Companion, not a cripple!"

I was about to agree when a thought hit me. "Wait. Can you take me to the Companions?"

He snorted. "Going to go hire someone? Good choice. Do you think if I leave you there you can find someone to get you to the inn?"

I consented, a bit angrily. I was just as excited to get this lazy, bitter man out of my hair. So when we reached the Companion's home, Jorrvaskr, and are greeted by a tall, imposing woman in armor, I shoo him away almost as quickly as he runs off.

"Who's he?" The woman, Aela, asked me.

"Oh, he was only a guide. A friend didn't trust me to take care of myself enough to get here in one piece." I couldn't hide my bitter tone, and Aela noticed.

"I'm sure you can handle yourself just fine." I could hear the grin in her voice. "Are you here to become a shield-sister?"

"A shield-sister-?" I was startled at the invitation and for a moment I had to recollect my thoughts. "Wait, I-"

"Come with me." She plows right on ahead, ignoring my protest. "I'll take you to meet Kodlak." She started away, and I followed her hastily. We went down, and the hollowness of my footsteps faded. Were we underground? Before I could stop her we were met by two more warriors. One of them sat lean and straight, while the other man was a bit bulkier, sitting with his hand resting on his hip, were there appeared to be a sword hanging.

"What's this?" The bulkier man said. His voice was young, younger than I expected for such a large man. He sounded irritated.

"This woman is looking to join us." Aela said quickly.

"I, uh-"I tried to interrupt but the warriors plowed ahead.

"Hmm." The leaner man mused. His voice was considerably older, and he reminded me distinctly of my father. For the first time since arriving in Skyrim, I felt a wave of homesickness. "Yes. There is a certain strength of spirit. There are always beds in Jorrvaskr for those with a fire burning in their hearts."

"This woman?" The younger man said. "Are you sure, Kodlak? She's almost a child. She could barely hold a sword."

He didn't sound much older than me, but I kept my mouth shut. "I'll have you know I can handle a blade just fine!" I retorted.

I heard a chuckle from the older man, Kodlak. "Vilkas, will you take her to the yard and test her mettle? She seems confident enough."

Vilkas nodded and stood, a small noise of frustration escaping him. "Very well. Come along, whelp."

Vilkas and Kodlak started off before I could stop them, Aela nodding at me to continue.

So I followed.

* * *

**How are you guys liking this so far? Switching up the perspective next chapter, I hope you like it! Please feel free to leave nice, honest reviews! Hope you are enjoying the story so far, ciao! **

**~ElderSkie**


	3. Chapter 3

Vilkas loved the sparring area in the back of Jorrvaskr. He had spent his childhood there, running around the training grounds with Farkas, watching the older warriors practice their skills.

The woman standing across from him now on the dusty ground could hardly be called a warrior. She was willowy, slender and long-legged. She was taller than most Bretons, but that meant little when compared to Vilkas, who was large even by Nord standards. She had the lean structure that he had noted on many couriers, from running long distances constantly.

But despite his comments on her ability to hold a sword, the blade in her hand now was steady, in a traditional stance he had seen from people born and raised in Cyrodiil.

Vilkas didn't like the look of her. Raelyn, she had called herself. She wasn't ugly, certainly. In fact, she was rather attractive, with long, thick, honey blonde hair, clear pale skin, intense hazel eyes, and a straight, upturned nose over full lips. But there was something wrong with the way she carried herself, the way she took in her surroundings. Her gaze was almost too focused, as if she looked beyond him rather than at him.

"Well?" He gestured at her sword. "Let's begin."

She hesitated for half a moment, and leapt forward. He had to admit, she wouldn't be giving away her attacks easily. Her eyes stayed focused on him, never flickering towards the area of her attack. Her sword swung through the air with some amount of power, but there was no finesse in it, only a blind swing.

She knew her way around a sword, but only just. And Vilkas had been around the best warriors in Skyrim since he was a child.

He effortlessly flicked his skyforge steel blade up, deflecting her swing and stepped to the side with an attack of his own. She stepped back, bringing her own sword in front of her and sloppily blocking the powerful swing, the sound of metal on metal clanging through the training area.

She could send an effective attack forward, and, however crudely, defend herself. It was all that was required to be initiated in the Companions as a whelp. With Kodlak's approval, of course.

"Alright." He stopped her as she seemed to make ready to attack again. "That's enough."

She frowned, neat arched brows coming together. "That's it?"

He ignored her for the moment, turning to Kodlak. He gave him a questioning look. Kodlak nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "She handles herself well enough. I would say welcome to our newest whelp." He smiled kindly at her, but she seemed not to notice, looking at them in confusion. Kodlak stepped back inside, leaving Vilkas with the whelp. She looked at him, earnest bewilderment plastered on her features.

"I only wanted someone to help me go to Bleak Falls Barrow." She muttered finally.

He chuckled at her irritated tone. "Well when you prove yourself worthy you can have any one of your shield-siblings to accompany you."

"Prove myself?"

"Yes." He looked thoughtfully at his sword. It had been a while since it had been sharpened, and the blade was somewhat dull. "You can start by taking my sword up to Eorlund Gray-Mane, at the Skyforge. Be careful with it; It's probably worth more than you are."

Her frown deepened. "I'm not your errand girl."

"You are for now. You are only a whelp, and until you become a full member of the Companions you will answer to all of us." Before she could protest more, he stepped away towards Jorrvaskr. There was a flash of panic on her face, and then it set into a stony mask. "Get it done, and maybe we'll have a real job for you."

* * *

When Vilkas disappeared into Jorrvaskr with a flash, I was left alone in on the training ground. Without the telltale flow of people, I was lost. _The Skyforge. That's above Jorrvaskr, though, isn't it? So it would be right around here somewhere._

I walked slowly away from where Vilkas had disappeared, hoping to find the wall of another structure. After a moment my hand brushed smooth stone. _Now which direction?_

I was being a fool. I should have just asked for help, but there was no use now. There was no one to ask, and I couldn't exactly go stumbling around until I found someone to guide me. I did the only thing I could think of. I listened for the crackling of a forge, sniffed for the smell of hot metal and smoke. To my surprise, there was the faintest scent drifting towards me from my left. I walked along the wall cautiously, one hand on the stone to keep me on track and the other ahead of me too make sure I didn't run into anything. After about ten steps my other hand struck more stone, but this stone was uncut, raw and rough. I continued along this new wall, hoping it would lead me where I need to go. So when it suddenly vanished under my hand, I tripped, nearly falling and disorienting myself further. I felt the ground, looking for where the wall had disappeared, when I noticed that the ground was sloping gently upwards. Now I could hear the forge, and I was certain it was in the direction of the natural ramp.

With no wall to guide me, every step brought a rush of adrenaline as I brought my foot down and braced myself to go tumbling into open air. It was with great relief that I caught sight of someone up the path from me. When I approached him it was with much more confidence.

"Excuse me?" I said, silently rejoicing at the heat I could feel from the forge. "Are you Eorlund Gray-Mane?"

The man twisted from where he was sitting to study me. "Yes, that's me. I make the finest steel in all of Tamriel. Can I do something for you?"

"Vilkas sent me with his sword." I held out the blade, which I had kept strapped to my hip during the tedious journey up to the Skyforge.

"Ah." His demeanor instantly became much more welcoming. "So you must be the newest whelp." He took the sword from me, and I heard a grindstone turn. The sound of grating metal filled the air.

I frowned. "Does Vilkas always send whelps to run errands?"

He laughed, a hearty comforting sound. "They were all whelps once. Even if they don't like to talk about it."

I smiled. Eorlund reminded me of my grandfather in a way. "I suppose so. Are you a Companion?"

Before long, we were in full blown conversation. I sat happily by the heat of the forge while we talked and he went along his business with the armor and weapons. It wasn't until he commented on the fact that it was getting dark that I realized I'd been there all evening.

"I'll need to be going." I said, standing up. In my mind I tried to retrace my steps down back to Jorrvaskr.

"I'll walk you down." He said, standing as well. "But will you do me a favor?"

"Of course." I said happily. No need to go tripping downhill back to Jorrvaskr, now.

"While we've been talking I finished a shield for Aela. My wife's in mourning, and I need to get back to her. Will you take the shield to her?"

"I'd be happy to." I replied truthfully. He took the shield from where it had been resting by the forge and handed it to me. It had a satisfying weight to it as we walked back to Jorrvaskr. We exchanged farewells, and I cautiously stepped into Jorrvaskr with Aela's shield and Vilkas' sword.

I saw a man sitting at one of the tables in the center of the large room. It wasn't Vilkas; every life form I could see had a slightly different feeling to it. But it was undeniably close. Could it be Vilkas?

I tapped his shoulder. "Uh… Vilkas?"

He turned to look at me, and a low chuckle emanated from him. "No, although I'm not surprised you mixed us up. I'm his twin brother, Farkas." He stood, and I saw that he was certainly not Vilkas. Farkas was massive, towering over me. Vilkas may have been exceptionally tall, but Farkas was most definitely bigger. It at least explained how their energy was so similar. "You must be the new whelp. Let me guess, Vilkas sent you on some chore?"

A laugh bubbled up in me. Farkas was much more personable than Vilkas, as well. "Aye. Do you know where he is? And Aela too. I have a shield for her from Eorlund."

He nodded. "They're probably down in the sleeping quarters. We may as well go down there, I can show you were you'll be sleeping."

He led me down the way I had gone with Aela to talk to Kodlak. The whole time I silently took count of steps, trying to get a feel for the room. Hopefully in a few days I would be able to get around Jorrvaskr without the help of other creatures. We went down several hallways before Farkas threw a door open. "Here we are. When you're tired just pick a bed and fall in." Well I'd need to figure out where the beds were. But I could do that in my own time. Aela was talking with another man, closer in age to Kodlak judging by his build and voice.

"Ah… Aela?" I started tentatively, hoping I wasn't interrupting anything. "Eorlund sent this shield for you."

"Oh." Aela turned to look at me. "I see you earned your way in, then. Thank you for delivering this, I've been waiting for it. Is Farkas showing you around?"

I nodded. "Yes. I need to find Vilkas, and then I'll probably retire for the night."

We parted ways, Farkas walking me to the other side of the hall. "There are lots of empty beds." He explained. "So we spread ourselves out. In fact, most of us get our rooms mostly to ourselves since Companions are out on jobs so often. I think you'll be sharing with Aela, so it should be empty most nights…"

Vilkas was in another room. He looked up as we approached. He greeted Farkas warmly, and me a bit less so. "Do you have my sword?"

"Aye." I handed it to him, and he appraised it.

"Well you haven't scratched it, so I guess you get to live another day." He said jokingly, sheathing it at his waist. "When you're ready I'll have some more work for you."

"Anything better than delivering blades?"

He chuckled dryly. "There are some bandits that have taken up residency in an abandoned keep east of Whiterun. You think you can handle it?"

My mouth went dry. I could handle it, but I had to get there first. I supposed I could always hire someone to help me get there…

"Sure." I said, trying to sound more assertive than I felt. "I'll head out tomorrow."

* * *

It was a much more difficult task then I thought it would be.

First came the challenge of navigating Whiterun nonchalantly enough to hire a sellsword. Eventually I was pointed towards the Drunken Huntsman, a small store where a Dunmer woman was offering her services. She was friendly enough, although I never did quite catch her name. She didn't ask questions when I told her to lead the way to the fort where the bandits where holding up, which helped raise my mood a bit.

It was about half a day's journey, and we walked most of the way with no incident. A saber cat attacked us a couple hours from Whiterun, but the sellsword proved worth the gold, and it was only a matter of moments before the beast's life blinked out of my view. The real challenge started when we reached the fort.

The bandits must have seen our weapons and armor and known instantly what our intentions were. A woman came roaring at us waving a small axe, threatening death if we didn't clear out. We stood firm, and she attacked. Luckily she must have had very little skill, because it only took a few swings of my sword to crack her defense and send her to the ground.

"Should we go up the tower first?"

The small elf's voice broke through the barrier my mind had been forming. "What?"

She sounded unsure of what to do. "Ah… there are two towers, on either side of the river…"

I felt the blood drain from my face. "Is there a bridge connecting them?"

"Yes…"

This was not good. If anyone attacked us on the bridge I would be worse than dead weight; I would most likely fall over the side, plummeting to the river below. "Is there anyone on the bridge?"

"Yes." This was beginning to sound like an interrogation.

"Do you think you can shoot them from here? I… we can't go up there if there is anyone on the bridge."

She gestured in the opposite direction, and I followed her hand to see several figures standing high above us. They hadn't seemed to have noticed us. She motioned for silence, and drew a longbow that seemed ridiculously large for her small stature. But she put it to good use, dispatching each bandit before they knew what was happening. "Excellent. Get me to the stairs up the tower, and then I'll take the lead."

She did as she was told, and when we reached the stairs I reached out a hand in search of a wall. At this point the little elf must have known the truth, but she said nothing as I placed my hand firmly on the wall and followed it up the stairs, my sword in my other hand.

"Ok, second floor." The elf said behind me. She definitely knew. I wasn't angry now, though. I stepped away from the stairs just as I heard thumping feet driving towards us. Two large burly men burst into the room, one holding a massive warhammer and the other wielding a wicked looking curved sword. The first man swung the hammer, and it whistled through air towards my head. I ducked, feeling the air wisp my hair. I leapt forward brandishing the sword and slicing across his legs. He screamed as the blade grated on bone, and fell to a kneel. The warhammer dropped, hitting me heavy in the shoulder, and a shout of pain escaped me. I switched the sword to other hand quickly, and swung it clumsily towards the man's head. It contacted with a sickening crack, and his life force disappeared abruptly. I whirled, gritting my teeth in pain, and saw the elf standing with an arrow knocked on her bow, the second man nowhere in sight. She nodded at where the man lay in front of me.

"Good work. Probably two more on the other side as well."

I nodded, gently searching my shoulder for the spot where the hammer had struck it. As soon as my fingers made contact with the swollen joint burning pain stabbed through my upper body. It was undoubtedly dislocated, at least. I cast a meager healing spell, the best I knew, and cool restoration magic flowed into my body. I bit my cheek until tears pricked at my eyes as I felt the joint slide back into place, and cut off the spell as soon as I was sure that I could move the limb freely. There would still be a tender bruise, but that wouldn't keep me from defending myself.

The sellsword lead the way across the bridge, me watching her every move so as to be sure I wouldn't misstep and plummet to the river below. To say I was relieved when we reached the other tower would be an understatement. However she had been right about the remaining bandits, because as soon as we descended the stairs to a lower floor two more warriors attacked us. A small woman wielding two small daggers snarled at me, swiping with her weapons. I narrowly avoided the blade, stepping around her to bury my sword in her side. She crumpled with an anguished cry, and her form rapidly dimmed on the ground before me. The Dunmer was struggling against a massive warrior carrying a giant greatsword, too tall to be human. He let out a gruff snarl that clicked in my mind as orcish, and I leapt forward without thinking, slashing open his back with my own blade. He howled and turned on me, but it proved to be his downfall as my sellsword struck him in the back of the neck with a broad hunting knife.

We did a quick scan for anyone else, or as quick as I could go. When we determined that there was no one left I was immensely glad to be headed back to Whiterun. I would be content to fall into the next bed I walked into, on accident or on purpose.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked the little bit of action in this chapter! I don't know if the Vilkas-perspective thing will be regular, but I like it so far. I'd love to hear your thoughts (down in the reviews? Hinthint) and will see you next chapter! Ciao!**

**~ElderSkie**


	4. Chapter 4

_And I could hear the thunder and see the lightning crack_

_All around the world was waking, I never could go back_

_Cause all the walls of dreaming, they were torn wide open_

_And finally it seemed that the spell was broken_

"_Blinding – Florence + The Machine"_

…**x.X.x…**

After Raelyn's success at the Valthiem bandit camp, everyone in the Companions had opened up to her, at least a little bit. Farkas, Torvar, and Ria welcomed her with open arms, while Aela, Skjor, and Athis were now at least amiable with her. Njada retained her cold mannerisms, but at least was no longer hostile. Vilkas had to admit, she had done a good job with the bandits, proving her small, harmless appearance to be quite misleading.

He told her this one day as they sat outside with Farkas, Athis, Njada, and Ria, enjoying the midday meal. She grinned, looking at him with her disconcerting unfocused gaze, her hazel eyes dilated strangely. "I'll take that as a compliment. So I'm guessing you're over treating me like a servant under your feet?"

He scowled, but before he could protest Farkas chimed in with a hearty laugh. "Vilkas is like that to all the new whelps."

Raelyn cocked an eyebrow. "So I'm not a whelp anymore?"

"No." Vilkas said curtly, still a bit ruffled by Farkas' comment. "You'll be a whelp until your trial."

Athis and Njada muttered something in agreement, obviously miffed to have still not received their own opportunities to join the Circle.

"What's this about trials?" Skjor's voice rang across the courtyard behind Jorrvaskr as he swung the door closed behind him.

"Oh, nothing." Athis called back quickly.

"Very well." Skjor shrugged. "Raelyn, Farkas, can I speak with you in the next few hours? I'll be downstairs."

Farkas nodded and Raelyn followed suit. When Skjor disappeared back into Jorrvaskr muted mutterings broke out amongst the warriors at the table again.

"Did you hear that?" Ria said excitedly. "It must be for your trial!"

"I think that's a bit of an stretch." Raelyn said. Why did she sound so uneasy? "It's probably just a regular job."

"Yes, of course." Njada rolled her eyes. "Because Skjor always asks a specific whelp and Circle member to speak to him privately for every mundane job."

Vilkas nodded, ignoring Njada's snarky remark. "Ria may be correct. Farkas, do you know anything about this?"

Farkas shook his head. "No. But if it's a job it'll be welcome in my eyes." He smiled wolfishly. "I haven't seen a good fight in a couple weeks." His smile faltered when he turned to Raelyn, seeing her worried expression. "Hey. You feelin' up to it?"

"I just…" She sighed. "I guess if this is it I'm as ready as I'll ever be, but it's kind of out of nowhere. It's happening really fast."

"Yeah. Super fast." Njada sounded wickedly jealous and Vilkas couldn't blame her. He would have preferred her to rein in the comments, though. He sent her a warning glare, and she immediately shut up, although not without a antagonistic look of her own.

"You'll be fine." Vilkas reassured her. "As long as you get out alive and with the objective complete you'll be in."

"But hold up! We don't even know this is a trial!" Raelyn protested halfheartedly.

But of course, there was no doubt anymore.

…**x.X.x…**

It was a trial.

Farkas was to be my shield brother, for which I praised Talos wholeheartedly. No need to have Vilkas leering suspiciously at me the whole trip or Aela asking me to shoot something with a bow, which, however competent I was with a sword, would never happen when I couldn't see my own arrow.

I got Farkas to lead the way to Dustman's Cairn with the lame excuse that I didn't know my way. It was a relatively short trip, only a few hours walk across the flat expanse of Whiterun hold.

The Cairn itself was not at all what I was expecting. I was told there was a precious shard of the legendary axe of Ysgramor, Wuuthrad, in the Cairn. I thought it would be grand shrine to the Nord dead, but we only descended some steps into a glorified hole in the ground. Inside it was musty and dank, the air heavy and suffocating from years without being disturbed.

"Be careful." Farkas whisper-yelled as we passed through the first chamber. "Draugr are said to guard these Nordic tombs."

"Draugr?"

"Ancient undead warriors. Some say that they were servants of the dragons who were cursed for treachery long ago, but no one really knows why they walk again."

Horror washed over me. Undead? Would my spell even let me see them?

My silent question was answered quite quickly. I heard the creaking of stone moving and Farkas leapt away as a glowing from lurched away from the alcove that had just opened in the wall. It let out a guttural moan, and slowly withdrew a small axe from a sheath at it's side. So I could see them. That was a relief at least.

The draugr where no problem to destroy. Their bodies were powerful and imbued with knowledge from who-knows-when, but the centuries of slow decay made them slow and ridiculously fragile. My blindness was almost a boon now; I could see which of the bodies slumbering the walls were alive, and when I silently dispatched them before they could wake Farkas praised my caution. I didn't correct him.

It wasn't until we were a bit deeper in the tomb that there was a serious problem. The room was sealed, and Farkas decided that we should split up and find a way to continue. I couldn't use him as a guide, but he would be here to see me stumbling around the room. I strayed carefully away from him when he turned his back, finding the wall with me hand. I slowly followed the wall, hoping Farkas would find something before I made a full circle around the room. When he asked me what I was doing I shrugged, quenching the panic in my chest.

"Checking if there are any secret buttons or switches. You never know, right?"

He nodded. "That's an excellent idea. I'll check if there's another door in here somewhere."

The line of the wall was broken by another doorway. I stepped in hopefully, but was painfully aware that is was only a small side chamber. My hand brushed a smooth stone device, and I wrapped my hand around it realizing that it was a lever. I pulled it hoping it would open a door somewhere but only heard the terrifying sound of metal sliding against stone, slamming on the ground behind me. I whirled, fear filling me, and walked into the door that had shut behind me. It was cold, with thick bars like a cage.

"Farkas!"

I heard rapid footsteps, and he skidded to a halt in front of the door, the bars blocking his body making him appear like a strange puzzle of Farkas with pieces missing.

"Now look what you've gotten yourself into." He clucked his tongue. "Hold tight. I'll see if there's a lever anywhere…"

In the middle of his sentence something went horribly wrong. More forms were slipping into view behind him, each holding wickedly long swords. They weren't draugr- more bandits?

"Farkas, behind you!" The warning ripped it's way up my throat in a panicked scream, as the warriors laughed.

"Time to die, dog." One voice snarled.

"How do we even know it's him?" One hesitant voice asked.

"It doesn't matter." The first voice whipped back in response. "He wears the armor, he dies."

Armor? Did the Circle have special armor? The only thing I really heard was 'die'. I couldn't help him, not behind bars against five armed warriors.

"Killing you will make for an excellent story." A female voice cooed maliciously.

"You won't be alive to tell it." Farkas growled. How could he possibly be making threats against these men and women? He didn't have a chance!

But then I realized something was wrong. Farkas had bent double, and for a split second I though a bandit had thrown a dagger in his stomach. But his life force was changing, filling the room with a wild, uncontrollable hum of power. He was growing, fingers elongating and torso growing bigger, if that was even possible. When he uncurled, it wasn't a man that stood before the warriors.

It was a beast.

He let out an ear-splitting howl, and leapt.

…**x.X.x…**

Vilkas was practicing in the courtyard when Farkas and Raelyn returned, looking rather bedraggled. Raelyn had a strange haunted look in her eyes, as if she was still seeing something she'd seen in that godforsaken tomb. She walked over to him, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion, and placed a wrapped parcel in his hands. She slipped back into Jorrvaskr like a ghost, not completely in the present.

Vilkas unwrapped the parcel, and was greeted by an engraved piece of metal, black and silver, sharp and jagged where it had been broken from the whole piece. It was a shard of Wuuthrad, all right.

Farkas approached him, downright energetically after Raelyn's greeting. His eyes were heavy with fatigue, but he clapped his brother on the back heartily. "Brother! The mission was a success!"

"Aye." Vilkas said, looking at the shard, and then back at the door that Raelyn and vanished through. "But not without a hitch?"

Farkas' friendly demeanor disappeared, replaced by nervous reluctance. "Vilkas… the Silver Hand attacked us."

Vilkas froze, his blood turning to ice. "What?"

"Raelyn was trapped. I may be a Companion, but I would not have made it out of that fight."

"You turned." Vilkas' voice was tight, as if he needed to get the words out as quickly as possible.

"Aye."

Vilkas sucked in a deep breath. "How could you trust her with that kind of knowledge?"

"That's the thing." Farkas rubbed the back of his neck, a familiar twitch that he got when he was keeping a secret. "We… traded information."

"Don't tell me that you promised to keep it secret? You can't just tell me that and then expect me to sit by and guess what it is." Vilkas sighed. "What leverage could possibly make that even?"

"I'm only sharing this because you have the beast blood as well." Farkas said ,uncharacteristically stiff. "So it's your secret too."

"Get on with it!" Vilkas growled, unnerved by his brother's unusual cryptic manner.

"She's blind."

The news hit Vilkas like a giant's club. How could it be possible? She could get around Jorrvaskr fine, although he was sure that after a while she would surely be used to the layout. She had gone on jobs! They had confirmation that the Valthiem bandit camp had been eradicated. But some things made sense too. The strange unfocused look of her stare, the way she always seemed lost in new places before going there a few times, the way she always got a frightened look in her eyes when he was about to leave her alone in the empty courtyard.

"Are… are you sure?" He can't keep the anger out of his voice. This was not the kind of thing you kept from your shield-siblings!

Farkas nodded sadly. "She explained all the details to me. She uses detect life spells-"

But Vilkas was no longer listening. He stormed away from Farkas, fury suddenly clouding his vision. He heard Farkas calling behind him to wait and let him explain, but he slammed his way into Jorrvaskr, planning on asking a certain Breton a few questions.

…**x.X.x…**

She looked up when he slammed the door to her room. She smiled tiredly. "Hello Vilkas."

"How do you know it's me?" He couldn't contain his snarl. "How do you know it's me and not Farkas or Kodlak or Torvar?"

Her smile fell, confusion taking it's place. "What are you-" Her eyes went wide and her expression crumbled into shame. "Farkas told you?"

"Yes, Farkas told me." Vilkas said, his voice low and ringing with anger. "And it's a good thing. What in Talos' name where you thinking?" His voice was steadily rising as he struggled to keep his rage in check.

"I thought I could get around if I had help!" Her voice had turned defensive. "I can take care of myself-"

"But can you take care of a shield-sibling?" Vilkas roared, exploding. He grabbed her roughly by her shirt, slamming her up against the wall. He was right, he realized as the held her effortlessly against the wall. She was small and thin, hardly to be called a warrior. She managed to keep a defiant look on her face even as she was pinned against the smooth wood. "Can you watch their back, keep an eye out for traps, help them against things other than enemies?" With every word that left his mouth the fire in Raelyn's eyes faded, until she simply hung there, her shoulders slumped as he ranted at her.

When he finished he waited, expecting her to explode back at him. She had always been quick to retaliate in arguments and banter alike, and it wasn't like her to take abuse silently. But she only looked at him solemnly, those damned eyes sorrowful and unfocused. She seemed to be crumpling into herself. He had a split second of shame. Perhaps he had gone a bit overboard.

He dropped her back to the ground and stepped away, horrified silence suddenly smothering him. He had definitely gone overboard. She made her way to the bed and sat down, the motion so much like she could see that he almost didn't notice the way she felt for the wall behind it, searching for the pillows with slim fingers. Orienting herself.

She was shaking. "I'm sorry." She said, her voice a broken whisper. "I never thought… I never thought I could get this far. You're right. I could have gotten someone killed." She clenched her eyes shut, and he absently thought how useless the gesture was. "And now I'm here. About to become a Circle member. I- I should go." She stood suddenly. "I'll leave. Go to Riften or Solitude. I'm sure there's someone there who can help-"

"Hey." Vilkas sat down heavily next to her. "Stop. Just give me an explanation. How did you even do Valthiem?" He was struck by a sudden realization. "Why did you even become a Companion?"

She sighed, leaning back against the wall, her eyes pointed at the ceiling. "I hired someone to take me there." She held a hand up before he could argue. "Before you say anything, she did _not_ do the job for me. She took me there, and helped me get up the towers. And as for how I got here…" She sighed again. "I was at Helgen."

He straightened, suddenly very interested. "You mean when the dragon attacked?"

"Aye." She said, her eyes disappearing into the past again. "I was one of two people who got out. Me and a Stormcloak man who helped me escape. We went to Riverwood, and a woman took us in for the night. His sister, I think. When I left, she told me to take news to the Jarl." She shrugged. "I had nothing else to do. But he gave me another task. His wizard wants me to go into Bleak Falls Barrow to retrieve some stone." She laughed bitterly. "I was coming to Jorrvaskr to hire someone to do it for me."

He looked at her, suddenly remembering the hesitance when he had first met him, the way she had seemed completely unwilling to go through any initiation process. _I only wanted to hire someone to help me to Bleak Falls Barrow._ She had said something like that. It had seemed stupid at the time.

"Oh." Was all he said.

"That's it." She looked at him, shrugging resignedly. "You can kick me out if you want. But at least now you know how."

Vilkas was still for a moment. "I…" He wasn't sure what to say. "I think that for someone who can't see you're a damned good swordswoman. It's not like you don't have your uses."

She snorted. "Thanks, I guess. But what about the Circle?"

He frowned. "I have half a mind to tell everyone what you've just told me." Her face transformed into a stone mask. "But I won't. Some people won't take as kindly to it as me." She muttered something about him being very 'kindly' before he finished. "Especially Njada. She wouldn't be pleased to discover a blind Breton the size of a rabbit beat her to her trial."

Raelyn chuckled, ignoring his quip about her size. "I suppose. Although I would pay to see her face."

Vilkas stood, suddenly feeling awkward, unsure of how to continue the conversation. "You're expected in the courtyard in a few hours to be initiated into the Circle."

She looked up at him, a hint of surprise in her face. "Any advice?"

He shot her a cold glance before remembering that she couldn't see it.

"Don't be late."

…**x.X.x…**

**So that happened. Complications incoming? I think yes!**

**Please leave honest reviews! I love every one of your comments! Ciao!**

**~ElderSkie**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **

**To Frances, who reviewed thoughtfully with some questions:**

**I'll be sure to include a more in depth description of what Raelyn can and cannot see. There will also be an explanation to how she became blind, don't worry! Her Companions have some questions for her too ^^ Thank you for reviewing!**

_If you could only see_

_The beast you've made of me_

_I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free_

_The saints can't help me now_

_The ropes have been unbound_

_I hunt for you with bloody feet across the hallowed ground_

"_Howl – Florence + The Machine"_

…**x.X.x…**

I was surprised by the amount of pomp and circumstance in the initiation ceremony. The rowdy warriors I had become comfortable with were suddenly serious, passing words among themselves as if each phrase was sacred. I didn't have to say a word, and was glad I didn't have to. I felt like if I said anything the spell that had fallen over the Companions would crumble.

As soon as it was over, however, everything returned to normal.

"Now little Raelyn's a Circle member!" Farkas clapped me on the back, and I stumbled forward a bit. "Who would've thought that the smallest of the whelps would be the first to complete her trial?"

I rolled my eyes. "You big burly warriors seem to love to pick on my size. Meanwhile, there's mead and food inside- I say we go in and celebrate like proper Companions, eh?"

He laughed. "You're a proper Companion, alright. Let's go, then."

Torvar had already begun drinking early in the evening, of course, and soon many of us were crowded around the table, warm tankards of mead in our hands. Over the past few weeks I had familiarized myself with Jorrvaskr, and most of Whiterun. I could find my way around decently, as long as I knew where I was to begin with. Now I used that knowledge to keep myself out of the fire as we laughed and drank and traded stories. At one point an extremely inebriated Athis threw a punch, and his gauntlet clanged dully on Njada's helmet. The resulting fight was yet another source of entertainment as we exchanged bets and cheered on the two warriors.

"You don't stand a chance, elf!" Njada spat, rubbing her jaw after a particularly accurate swing from Athis.

"You've better, Athis!" Aela roared from the side. "I've got fifty septims on you!"

"Ooh." I winced sympathetically as Athis took a hard fist the side of his head, making him stumble back and shake his head dazedly. "She's not called stone-arm for nothing."

"Aye, that's certainly true." Vilkas said, almost having to yell over the cheers of the small crowd. "That's why I've got a hundred septims on her."

Aela whipped to face him with a laugh. "A hundred more septims for me, then!"

"You're sorely mistaken, huntress."

"Feeling some doubt, Shield-brother?"

"In your dreams!"

A few more remarks were exchanged and suddenly Vilkas and Aela were brawling right alongside Athis and Ria. I suspected that Vilkas' involvement was due mainly to the copious amounts of alcohol he had already consumed after caving to a drinking challenge from Torvar earlier. Torvar was now unconscious under the table, although that wasn't so different from any other night. Aela held her own surprisingly well against the large man, but after a few minutes both fights came to an end, with Athis victorious on his end, and Vilkas easily pinning Aela after a few good punches.

"Well, you lose some you win some, right?" Vilkas remarked amiably as Aela pocketed her coin, nursing her shoulder. She laughed, clapping a very satisfied Athis on the back.

I chuckled, watching the spectacle unfold. "I'm just glad I don't have a habit of throwing blind punches. I'd lose every time!"

Farkas nodded in agreement. "We could probably just sit on you until you gave up!"

I swatted him on the arm. "What's this about blind punches?" He yelled in mock hurt, grabbing my arm and slinging me over his shoulder. I squealed, flailing uselessly against him.

"That wasn't blind! At least, mostly." I cried, alcohol making my lips loose. He simply laughed, hooking his arm around me and effortlessly lugging me around the room as I kicked at the unyielding muscle of his back and arm.

"Fifty septims on the bird sitting on Farkas' shoulder!" Vilkas called jokingly. Aela shot him a look.

"Making more bets, Vilkas?" She called. He chuckled dryly, shaking his head with an innocent shrug.

"I have no idea what you're referring to, dear sister."

After a few laps around Jorrvaskr, Farkas seemed content to set me on my feet back by where he had lifted me up. "I'd say I won that one." He said, drawing a round of mock protests from our shield-siblings. But after a few more tales and one drunken dance from Athis, the party was about over. Aela and Ria had already gone stumbling downstairs, and I was thoroughly disoriented.

"Let's head down," Vilkas said, laying a hand on my shoulder. "I would hate for your first day as a Circle member to be hung over." He pointed me a different direction, and I took it to mean that that was the direction of the bedrooms. I tripped my way down the stairs, the amount of mead I had consumed not at all helping with the blindness problem. When I finally made it to my bed, I was out like a light.

I dreamed of Cheydinhal. I remembered playing in the river with the other children in town, before I had lost my sight. I saw the tall stone and wood houses lining the cobbled streets, and ran my hand over them, almost convinced that they were real. But then I turned and saw a person walking down the street, and the illusion was broken. Their face shifted impossibly, going from beautiful to ugly to something in between. Their eyes changed color, their nose grew larger and smaller, and all manner of face shapes and expressions flew by in a second. But that was how it always was. I wasn't sure if I could even conjure up a stable picture of any one person; It seemed unreal that people had solid appearances that I wasn't aware of.

When I woke it was bittersweet. The shifting faces always put me on edge, but it was amazing to see for the small time I was asleep. I groaned, clutching my pillow to my chest. My head was pounding like Farkas had been set loose with a warhammer inside. I pushed the heavy furs away, blinking the stickiness away from my eyes as I cast my sight spell.

Aela was standing over me, a bottle in her hand.

"Hangover?" She chuckled. "Here, this will help."

She tossed me the bottle and I caught it with some difficulty. "What is it?"

"Just a healing potion." She said. "But that's not why I'm here."

I looked around, unnerved by her suddenly intense manner. I noticed that other than us, the room was empty. "Where is everyone? What time is it?"

"It's only late morning. Most of our Shield-siblings are out on jobs."

"Ah…" I swallowed. There was something here I didn't like. "What are you here for, then?"

"I'd like you to meet Skjor and me in the Underforge tonight. No one must know about this- come quietly."

"What? Why?" I wanted to ask her why all the secrecy, but she was already barreling ahead.

"You'll get your explanation. For now, just do as you're told."

I frowned. I almost remarked on how technically she was not superior to me in rank, but I decided better of it. Technicalities didn't seem too important at the moment. She disappeared from the room, leaving me sitting alone on my bed. I ran my hand over the cool glass of the potion, thinking, before downing it in two vile swallows. I grimaced at the taste, but sighed as the pounding ache melted away.

Athis, Vilkas, Farkas, and Ria had all already headed out on routine jobs. Njada was training alongside Skjor behind Jorrvaskr, beating one of the training dummies with a small mace. Aela was putting arrow after arrow into the targets by the Skyforge. Everything seemed completely normal- so why did I feel so uneasy?

I needed to calm down. I decided to spend the day relaxing a bit, reasoning that I had been working hard in the past few weeks leading up to my trial, and could have a free day once in a while. I spent the day wandering Whiterun. I hadn't gotten to know very many people, other than to confirm job offers. My spell gave me a unique vision of them. If I looked closely enough, and focused enough on a person's life force, I could almost get a sense of their personality and mood. But it took immense effort, and it was easy to notice a woman staring blatantly at you for a few minutes, so I never tried too hard. I met a few interesting people. Uthgerd the Unbroken, in the Bannered Mare, Arcadia, owner of the local Alchemist shop, and Mikael, the local bard, among others.

I ended up spending some time at the shops as well. I bought a new set of steel armor with the gold I'd made on my recent jobs, and two new steel swords. I wanted to practice with dual-wielding, and reminded myself to ask Vilkas for help later.

When I finally returned, activity in town was winding down, and most of the other Companions were sitting around the fire talking. It was the usual evening routine in Jorrvaskr. But looking at all of them laughing and enjoying themselves, I suddenly felt out of place.

I had lied to all of them. Sure, only Vilkas and Farkas knew as far as I was aware, but I had only really told Farkas. I didn't even know what any of them looked like past their size or build or hair length. I'd tried imagining what any one of them looked like, but it was the same as in my dreams. Nothing was stable. I couldn't even fathom what Athis looked like; I had never seen a Dunmer while I had my sight, and only had the descriptions from my most trusted friends of lean, tall people with gray-blue skin and red eyes.

When Tilma brought several plates of food out for dinner, I was glad to have a reference to the time. It would be about an hour after the sun went down. I remembered Aela's strange request from this morning suddenly, and quickly downed the rest of my food.

I waited in my quarters for another hour before going out to the courtyard. Skjor and Aela were waiting by the Underforge.

Skjor put a heavy hand on my shoulder in greeting. "Glad you made it. We'll wait for Aela to go in before we follow."

"What?" I shook my head as Aela disappeared under the Skyforge. "But I still don't know why I'm here!"

Skjor patted my back, as if I was an irritated child to be placated with a sweet. "It's not to be discussed here." He looked to the Underforge, and nodded to himself. "She's ready. Lets go."

He stepped away and I hurried after him, not willing to find my way when he disappeared behind the door.

"Hold on! I just want-" I froze halfway through my frantic plea.

On the other side of the room, where Aela should have been, was a beast. Very much like Farkas' beast form, it radiated wild power, tinged with the barest hint of Aela's familiar warmth. It was smaller and leaner, but it bristled with magic from beyond the mortal plane.

"Aela…?" I asked softly, unwilling to believe my eyes, or at least what I could perceive. "Why?"

"We're offering you something very valuable." Skjor's voice broke through my shock. "Farkas told me you know of the beast blood. But did he tell you any more than of it's existence?"

"I…" The power coming from Aela was making my head buzz unpleasantly. "Uh, no."

"Ah!" If I could have seen it, I would have been sure Skjor's eyes lit up at that moment. "We are gifted, even when not in beast form. The form, as you can see, makes you ferocious and deadly. A born hunter. But in human form…" He nodded, as if to emphasize his words. "We are extra fast, strong, and agile. We are gifted traits of a divine warrior. We are also given superior senses. Hearing, smell, sight…"

I stiffened, registering what he had said. "Superior… sight?" He nodded.

I barely heard the rest of his explanation. I already knew what my answer would be. If there was a chance… I could have my sight back, along with the strength and speed. Just the idea of seeing again sent a thrill of excitement down my spine, and it took all my willpower not to burst into laughter.

My anticipation trumped even my disgust when he instructed me to drink out of the basin that Aela held her bleeding arm over. A wave of nausea passed through me, from the act of drinking the blood or from the transformation I didn't know. It was followed immediately by a searing blast of pain, and a moan escaped my suddenly parched lips. My chest burned, and I could feel my bones stretch and I was sure that I would feel them crack and splinter at any second.

An inhuman growl ripped out of my throat, and I disappeared into the safety of unconsciousness.

…**x.X.x…**

_Light._

_Stone walls surround me, closing in on me. This is not the place for a wolf. The scent of blood is choking me. I need to get out._

_Another is standing nearby. Lean and tawny brown, it nudges me towards a door I did not notice before. I step out into cold night. Why do I hurt so much? My bones are on fire, my blood is ice, my chest is being torn open. I whine, and the world blurs around me. I'm shrinking, my fur becoming shorter. Pale skin is vulnerable to the frigid wind, and I desperately wish for the dark fur to return. Something is fighting me, screaming in my mind, teeth ravaging my thoughts as they enter my conciousness._

_Flashes of something whip my mind, but I cannot place them. No images, only glowing figures and sounds and smells. What is this? The other wolf growls and bounds across the courtyard, leaping a tall cobble wall in a graceful leap, and I follow, my novice strides clumsy in comparison. A large bald man is sprinting after us, his body morphing even as he runs. Suddenly we are on the plains and the pain hits again. I curl in on myself, shaggy fur receding again, and a cry halfway between a howl and a sob escapes. Not human not wolf. Two wolves stand over me, sympathy in their body language. The world goes black again. _

…**x.X.x…**

I'm not sure what to expect when a few thoughts begin to trickle into my pain-deadened mind.

_Where am I?_

_I'm freezing._

_Am I naked?_

Suddenly a single memory rips through my mind, and I gasp aloud.

_Beast._

A terrifying question follows.

_Can I see?_

My eyes crack open, and I brace myself for light.

But none comes.

I let out a choked sob, crushed. I cannot see it, but I know I'm naked, and the snow is burning cold against my skin. I clench my fist into the snow, gritting my teeth as I cast my sight spell, the spell I thought I'd never use again. Aela is standing over me, bundle of something in her arms.

"Here." She tossing a bundle beside me, and I fumble for it, the pain in my head only disorienting me further. "Your armor. It was rough, but you made it. Congratulations, Shield-sister." She sounds sympathetic as I groan into my fists at the clawing in my head. "Yours was tougher than most. You're lucky to have survived that kind of transformation."

"Survive?" I said, anger tipping my voice like poison. I was not in the best of moods. "I could have died?"

"I was certain you wouldn't." Aela said shortly, obviously aware that this was something she should have shared. She waved away the subject eagerly. "It's time for a little celebration."

"What do you have in mind?" I said, struggling to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. As far as she knows, I'm simply angry that I could've died.

As I fully pull away from the sleepy haze, I can feel the difference in my mind. I can feel another presence, lurking, waiting.

The wolf.

"Oh don't worry." Aela says. "We've got something special planned."

…**x.X.x…**

**Awww. Sad Raelyn is sad :(**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! There was some more fluff, which, while fun, is difficult for me to write. Next chapter I'm hoping to answer some questions mentioned above, but no (solid) promises for now. Ciao!**

**~ElderSkie**


	6. Chapter 6

_The looking glass, so shiny and new_

_How quickly the glamour fades_

_I keep spinning, slipping out of time_

_Was that the wrong pill to take?_

"_Rabbit Heart – Florence + The Machine"_

…**x.X.x…**

It took only a day for Vilkas to realize something was wrong.

It wasn't unusual for Shield-siblings to disappear for a few days at time doing jobs. Sometimes a week or more if they crossed the mountains or went to more isolated holds. But Aela and Skjor had been acting shifty ever since Raelyn and Farkas left for her trial, so when they and Raelyn vanished, he felt something was off. He stalked down to the sleeping quarters, looking for his Harbinger.

"Kodlak!" He called. "You haven't seen Skjor and Aela or the new blood lately, have you?"

Kodlak looked up from his book. Probably studying, looking for a cure. "No. I assumed they were on a job. Why?"

"They're all missing." Vilkas shook his head, concern growing in the pit of his belly. "Something feels wrong. It may be the wolf being paranoid, but I have a feeling…"

Kodlak was silent. His expression morphed to one of alarm as he pieced a puzzle in his head. Vilkas watched him carefully, before stumbling across a thought moments after the old man. "By Talos. You don't suppose…"

"They've changed her?" Kodlak muttered. "I wouldn't be surprised. Aela was always too headstrong for her own good. I fear for Raelyn's safety; they most likely will not have told her of the more… negative aspects of the beast blood."

Vilkas sucked in a sharp breath. "Are you any closer to finding a cure?"

"I've followed too many false leads to raise your hopes. It could be weeks or years." Kodlak sighed sadly. "We'll have to see."

A wave a disappointment washed over the younger man. A wave of anxiety swiftly followed. If Raelyn had been changed, she would have no idea of the side effects. A blind wolf was not what the Companions needed, especially with the rift forming between those who thought the beast blood a gift and those who thought of it as a curse.

"I'll go see if anyone else knows where they are." He said slowly. He turned and walked through the empty halls, ascending the stairs to the main hall.

As it turned out, he wouldn't need to ask anyone. At that moment the doors to Whiterun burst open, and two figures entered. The small bedraggled form of Raelyn, her hair knotted carelessly behind her head and her armor hanging crookedly on her frame, stumbled in first. Aela followed, stoic and somber, a dark look in her eye. A second later it hit him; the sharp scent of a new wolf. So Raelyn had turned.

"Where in Oblivion have you been?" Vilkas asked, painfully aware of Skjor's absence. "Where is Skjor?"

Raelyn stared at him, shoulders slumped in defeat. "He's gone." It was hoarse whisper. "The Silver Hand got him."

"Raelyn, go downstairs." He growled. "Aela. Can I speak with you for a moment?"

Raelyn tromped down the stairs in silence, and Vilkas pulled Aela to the side of the room.

"Are you insane?" He rumbled, anger rising. "You changed her! You didn't consult Kodlak, or even Farkas or I! What the hell happened in there?"

Aela stared at him defiantly. "We knew you would never allow it. We took action." She suddenly crumpled, anguish crossing her features. "And now Skjor is gone."

"What did you tell her?" Vilkas said, struggling to keep his voice down. "I'm sure you mention the battle prowess. But did you tell her how she'd have to fight the wolf for control? How she'd never get a night of rest again?" He could feel his own wolf bristling, ears back, teeth bared. "How she would be barred entrance to Sovngarde and sent to the realm of a damned daedra?"

"No. We didn't want to frighten the girl!"

"She has every reason to be frightened! And now she has no real choice, does she?" He snorted in disgust. "Someone needs to tell her. And it sure as hell won't be you." He stalked away, ignoring the look of dejection on Aela's face even as he swallowed back his own sorrowful moan. Skjor had been a father to him, along with Kodlak. He ran into Farkas on the way down.

"Brother!" Farkas said. "Have you seen Skjor? I'm looking for a job."

"Ah." Vilkas said. His voice cracked, and he cursed silently at the betrayal. "Farkas. Skjor's gone."

Farkas' usual carefree attitude dissipated. "What?"

"Aela and Skjor… took Raelyn's beast blood into their own hands. A celebratory hunt, I suppose. The Silver Hand got him." He swallowed. "Ask… ask Aela. She knows what happened. I need to talk to Raelyn."

Farkas nodded, looking down empty-eyed at his boots. _Damn it!_ Vilkas thought angrily. _Why couldn't they just talk to Kodlak?_

He stepped away hesitantly, and his brother slowly descended the stairs. Vilkas continued on towards Raelyn's room, and found her sitting on the bed, slicing neat notches in the bed frame with a dagger. She looked up as he entered the room, and the dagger sliced deep into the hard wood. "I should have listened." She said simply. "You told me. You told me that I couldn't protect a Shield-sibling." She shook her head. "And I still thought I could go in there."

"Skjor knew what he was doing." He said, sitting down on the bed beside her. "So did Aela. You can't put all the blame on yourself."

She was silent, tugging the dagger before it popped out of the frame, leaving a large gash. It was a long moment before she spoke.

"I can feel the wolf." She laid back, crossing her arms behind her head. "Like it's circling my mind, claiming my thoughts for itself."

"Why did you take the blood?" Vilkas asked. "I'm sure Aela and Skjor gave you a diluted version of the curse, but you couldn't have possibly thought it was that simple."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, one eyebrow raised. "You overestimate me." She said, reaching behind her and finding the wall with her fingers. "But… I suppose I got ahead of myself. Skjor was speaking of the gifts I would receive… and I thought…" She closed her eyes tightly. "I thought perhaps if it enhanced your sight, it might restore mine." Her voice faded as she uttered the last words.

Vilkas eyed her with interest. "I hadn't thought of that. Did it?"

She let out a bitter laugh. "No. The wolf can see, though. I remember only snippets. I know what Skjor looks like, what Aela's wolf looks like. But I couldn't describe any landscape other than the back of Jorrvaskr." She sat up again, fidgeting restlessly. "It's strange. I could never picture a solid face in my mind, and now the only one I can see is Skjor. Ironic, seeing as no one else will be any time soon."

Vilkas shook his head in amazement. "And did they tell you anything other than the pros?"

"No. But of course there are, aren't there?"

Vilkas smiled sadly, if for himself rather than her. "Aye. Don't expect any good nights of sleep anymore. That's over. So is feeling at peace in your own mind."

She froze. "No resting? No… dreaming?"

He shook his head. "I don't even remember what it's like."

For the first time since he had met her, tears welled in Raelyn's eyes. "No. No, no, no. Please tell me it's not true." Panic spiked her words, her sightless eyes becoming manic.

"I… I'm afraid so." He assured her, confused. "Why?"

"I could see." She breathed, her voice hitching. "I could see when I slept. And now it's gone, because I couldn't stop to think for one measly second."

"Oh." Was all Vilkas could think to say. This was too much loss for one day, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He sat quietly, unsure of how to proceed.

Raelyn pressed her fingers to her temples, as if fighting a headache. She sat just as silent for a few moments before letting out a strange laugh.

"Did I ever tell you how I lost my sight?"

"Ah, no." Vilkas said, startled by the sudden subject change.

"A fever went through Cheydinhal when I was young. It's been fourteen years, I believe. It killed many people in Cyrodiil, in all the counties, but it left barely a trace in Cheydinhal. Both me and my mother caught it though."

Vilkas stilled, uncomfortable with the sudden outpour of information. He realized just how little he really knew about the small girl.

"I don't remember anything after the first few days. All I recalled was feeling like I was on fire, and someone was stabbing me in the skull over and over. I was separated from my family, and put with my mother in a isolated part of the house. Only the doctor was allowed in. I blacked out after one particularly nasty headache, and when I woke up I opened my eyes and saw nothing. I panicked, but the doctor said it might have just been temporary." She snorted. "Obviously not. But in a way, I was spared. My mother died the night I woke up. My father gave up on the gods that day, said that it would have been a mercy if I had died."

She seemed to become more detached the further she got into her story.

"Of course, at first it would have. But I could do simple house chores after a few months, and after about a year I was trusted to go around town without too much trouble. I sometimes watched the smaller children when the ladies were at the markets or traveling. Then I learned how to cast my sight spell." 

She held out her hand, and a faint ripple seemed to pass over her hand. Vilkas wouldn't have noticed it if she wasn't actively showing him.

"How exactly does it work?" Vilkas asked, finding himself drawn into the conversation.

"I can see life forms, mostly. And weapons." She shrugged. "I've been working on it continuously for years. I'm not sure the full capacity. I recently learned that it can see draugr, but I'm not sure if it can sense vampires. I can only see an inanimate object if someone's holding it, but I'm trying to fix that." She closed her fist, placing her hand back down on the bed. "I'm hoping that someday I might be able to have my own warped version of sight. I can't see colors or details, but I can see how tall you are and how long your hair is. Like an outline."

Vilkas nodded. "It would be a poor substitute, though."

"Aye." Raelyn smiled sadly. "And it may never happen. But I'll keep on working at it."

"Hmmm." Vilkas tried to absorb the deluge of information. "Why so talkative all the sudden?"

Raelyn looked at him, bewildered. "What do you mean?"

"Well." He shrugged. "You haven't exactly been the type to share your life story lately. Why now? And why all of it? You could have just as easily told Farkas or Kodlak, and they seem much easier to talk to."

"I…" She had a resigned look on her face. "I suppose I needed to tell someone. You wandered in, and I guess you just became my unfortunate victim. Sorry."

" 'S alright." Vilkas said gruffly. "Just stop being stupid without warning anyone beforehand."

She shot him a look of mock hurt. "Well, if you insist. But, actually…" She sighed. "I'm thinking of leaving for Bleak Falls Barrow soon."

"Alone?" His voice dripped with incredulity.

"Aye. We should all realize by now. I can't be trusted with a Shield-sibling."

"And how exactly do you plan on getting there? You can't read a map, or even follow the damned sun!"

She frowned. "I'll get there in wolf form. Once I'm there I can go through even without sight. You know I can hold my own in a fight. I'll be fine."

"You took someone with you to Valthiem with you, didn't you? Take her! Or even Farkas, for Talos' sake. They know your… weaknesses."

"Hmmph." Raelyn crossed her arms, and Vilkas could see her usual combative self coming back out. "We'll see.

Vilkas stood up angrily. "You're going to get yourself killed. If you go without anyone I will personally go up there and drag your sorry hide back to Jorrvaskr. I would prefer if you were alive, but it's you choice."

She stared at him indignantly. "I won't need rescuing!"

"Damn it, Raelyn!" Vilkas stormed towards the door. "You don't know what's in there! I'm going to supper. If you keep on insisting on risking your life for nothing then I'll have you doing so many jobs in Solitude and Windhelm you won't even get a glimpse of the barrow for months. We just lost Skjor; Don't throw you life away, especially now."

And he stomped up the stairs to fume over his dinner.

…**x.X.x…**

_How dare he!_

How dare he come in, act kind to me, and then treat me as if I couldn't take care of myself!

_If I hadn't told Farkas, none of this would've ever happened._

_But, then again, I might be dead._

Now? Now I had power. And I swore I wouldn't have to depend on any of them again.

…**x.X.x…**

In the morning, there was no sign of Raelyn or Farkas. Vilkas couldn't help but feel it may be coincidence, though.

"Do you know where Farkas and Raelyn are?" He asked Aela. "I'm afraid Raelyn may have gone off on her own."

"I recall something about a job in Falkreath." She replied distractedly, firing arrows into one of the targets lining the walls of the city. "Farkas said something about returning by early evening."

"Oh." Mollified, Vilkas stepped away, leaving her to her practice. "Then I think I'll go take care of the skeever infestation at Honningbrew. I should be back by noon."

It took a bit longer than he expected. The skeevers were easily dispatched with a single swing, but the owner of the meadery neglected to mention a rogue mage hiding in the pits of the basement. He made sure and extra 100 septims were added to the payment, rubbing the electricity burns on his shoulder angrily on the way back to Jorrvaskr. The sun was dipping below the horizon when he arrived.

Farkas was eating at a table in the back of Jorrvaskr.

"Vilkas!" He said cheerfully, sliding an extra mug of mead across the table to his twin. "How did the job go?"

"Ah, nothing special." Vilkas sat down across from his brother. "Some skeevers and a crazy mage."

"Well, it keeps us fed, right?" Farkas smiled, pulling out the payment from his job and placing it on the table. It was at least 400 septims. "Say… what about Raelyn?"

Vilkas frowned, counting out the coins absentmindedly. "What about her?"

Now Farkas frowned. "She said she couldn't go with me to Falkreath because she was leaving with you later. How did she do?"

Vilkas shot up, fury suddenly blazing across his features. "She said that? I thought she was with you! She's been gone all day!"

"Wha-?" Farkas stood as well, his concerned expression a startling contrast to his brother's anger. "Where is she, then?"

"I know where." Vilkas seethed, their conversation from the last night returning in a flash. "If she hasn't already gotten herself killed." He stepped away from the table. "I'm going to get her. If anyone asks we are on a job in Riften. Got it?"

"I should go too-" Farkas' protest died in his throat when his brother shot him a warning glare. "Aye. Of course."

Vilkas nodded. "We should be back in a few days at the most." And with that, he hastened out of the city, towards Bleak Falls barrow.

…**x.X.x…**

**Oh dear!**

**Raelyn is being silly again. Of course, it's Vilkas to the rescue!**

**But what's become of Raelyn? Well, you'll see next chapter, won't you… mwahaha!**

**Please leave honest reviews below! I love hearing your guy's input! Ciao!**

**~ElderSkie**


	7. Chapter 7

_It's alright to cry_

_Even my dad does sometimes_

_So don't wipe your eyes_

_Tears remind you you're alive._

"_Even My Dad Does Sometimes - Ed Sheeran"_

…**x.X.x…**

I had stopped feeling the cold ages ago.

Despite the thick, warm, (and expensive), cloak I had bought on my way out of Whiterun, the wind sliced through me like knives. I had turned as soon as I was out of sight of Whiterun, and could see the barrow by the time I was forced to change back. My wolf fur was much warmer than the clothes I had packed, though, and I had shivered the rest of the way up the mountain. Eventually the wind was just a strange sensation of pressure and movement, and I vaguely wondered if I was getting frostbite. A fire spell now floated between my hands, keeping the deadly affliction away from my vulnerable fingers and hands.

The second time I had transformed, it was only half as painful, and many times more lucid. If I paid more attention, I could probably recall the way from Whiterun blind. Unfortunately I had been a bit more focused on getting to my destination on time, and didn't exactly plan ahead.

Now I was focused on getting up the stairs in one piece. I had already climbed to sets of at least twenty stairs, and knew that a misstep may send me plummeting down the mountain. I stepped onto a flat expanse after another stumbling climb, and sighed tiredly.

"Who's there?"

I froze. I hadn't thought anyone would be outside the barrow. Draugr, sure, inside the barrow. But this was definitely a living, breathing, yelling being. And now as I scanned the area I could see him, gesturing for several other people and running towards me.

_Damn it._

If there were any way other than fighting to get out of this, I would try.

"Please, sir!" I croaked, disgusted at how little I had to fake the crack in my voice. Perhaps I should have brought someone with me after all. "I can't see! Please help me!"

He sauntered up to me, and I could see the tattered edges of his armor, probably hide, and the notches in his large axe.

"What's a little thing like you doing all the way up here, unable to defend herself?" He cooed, his voice sickly sweet.

"I'm lost." I said timidly, unsure now if this plan was the wisest. I surreptitiously patted my side, making sure my sword was there. "I was on my way to Riverwood. Can you help me?"

He chuckled lowly, and a shiver ran down my spine. "I think we can help ya, lass, but what are we going to get in return?" His two compatriots laughed around him, and I inched my hand closer to my sword. Suddenly his hand was on the front of my shirt, and he tugged me up to eye-level, several heads above me. "Perhaps a few kisses for some lonely warriors?"

"Ahh…" I grimaced as his breath blew into my face, hot and rank. "I can pay you if you can get me to Riverwood." Of course, they'd be dead before we got there. No need to go all the way down the mountain only to climb it again.

"Oh no, dear." I flinched at the malicious whisper. His hand went dangerously low, and a sharp, angry gasp escaped me as I heard and felt the cotton underneath my breastplate rip. "We'll need a little more than that."

My hand found a solid grip on my blade, and I drew it with a quiet _schlick _of metal on leather. He frowned, and then my sword was in his gut. I felt blood splatter my hand as he released me, and I landed unceremoniously on the ground as he collapsed.

"Maybe you shouldn't threaten an armed woman." I growled at his companions as his life force faded in front of me. They stood, stock still, gaping at me. Then one of them seemed to break free of the paralyzing shock, and glowered darkly at me.

"You'll find that won't make things any easier when we get our hands on you." The big man spat, drawing a heavy club from his belt. I backed away from the threat before steeling my resolve.

"You won't."

With those words, the confrontation dissolved into full on battle. The lanky man swung a small mace at my head, and I leaped backwards, slicing forward in a vain attempt to hit something blindly. The big man stepped forward and brandished his club menacingly, but I darted forward and struck him in the gut before he could swing. He let out a surprised groan and collapsed, the club dropping useless on the ground. I whipped my blade across his neck to put him out of his misery, and turned barely in time to see the last man bringing his mace down on my head. I ducked, rolling to the side, and felt the blow glance off my arm. Pain exploded across my upper arm, and I felt blood beginning to drip under the steel.

The man advanced, twirling the sword carelessly between his fingers. "Well, at least now I'll have you all to myself…" He said, viciously drawing the sword up to my throat. My sword had gone flying when I rolled, and my mind raced for a solution.

My second sword!

I'd forgotten momentarily about the sword I'd bought to practice dual-wield. I fumbled under my cloak, and swung clumsily with my left hand. There was a sickening crunch as metal cut through flesh and struck bone, and he collapsed lifeless almost immediately. A wave of nausea cut through me as I felt hot blood speckle my face, and I stood shakily.

My arm throbbed hotly, but I couldn't imagine dredging up the energy to heal it. It wasn't broken at least, and I would do for now. I staggered a few steps away from the now dark space where the men had once laid, and dropped to a kneel.

That's where Vilkas found me.

…**x.X.x…**

Vilkas was eternally grateful that he was a Nord, and not a cold-blooded Redguard or Breton.

And, speaking of Bretons, he was going kill Raelyn if she hadn't already done it herself somehow.

He peered into the blinding snow, wondering somewhere in the back of his mind if the snow affected Raelyn's 'vision' like it did his. All his thinking grinded to a halt, however, when the overpowering stench of blood flooded his senses. Human blood… and werewolf.

He increased his pace, now running along the path. Bleak Falls Barrow towered over him, like a massive ghost haunting the mountain. He arrived at the first set of stairs toward the door, and ascended three at a time. When he was halfway up the second set of stairs he caught sight of the carnage a few paces away.

Three bodies lay crumpled on the stones, red slowly spreading around them. An abandoned sword lay a few feet away, the snow cleared in a spectacular arc where it must have skidded across the stones. And there, sitting slumped against one of the ruined pillars arching over the barrow was a small figure with long dark blonde hair.

She turned towards him, brandishing her sword with a shaky grip at the sound of his metal boots on the ground. Then, realizing that it was him, she dropped the blade, giving him a haunted look.

"Raelyn?" He called cautiously.

"Why are you here?" Her voice was empty, and there was red flecked across her face. The steel over her right arm was caved in, and Vilkas could see red welling from a darkly bruised wound underneath.

"I thought you might be doing something stupid." He said, shaking his head and crossing the rest of the distance to kneel down next to her. "What in Oblivion happened here?"

"I tried to get out of it without fighting." She said quietly. "But it only would've ended with me dead and most likely naked at the bottom of the mountain." She gestured lamely in the direction of the sword that had gone flying. "I'm just lucky I had a second sword."

"I told you you'd get yourself killed."

"I'm not dead!" Suddenly she sounded very angry. "Do I look dead to you? I just needed to… sit down for a moment."

"And in the meantime," Vilkas grumbled, inspecting her arm closer, "were you just going to let yourself bleed out?"

"No. I just needed to regain some energy." She sniffed, tugging her arm out of his grasp. She gritted her teeth, and unfastened the arm piece, pulling it off slowly. Underneath, her arm was swollen and bruised, with rough gashes where the mangled armor had cut into her flesh. She ran a hand over the wound, and a golden light poured along her arm. Vilkas watched, somewhat amazed, as the bruising and swelling faded, and the gashes closed over with only a faint white scar where they had been.

Then she promptly slumped to the ground, a hand pressed to her forehead.

"Oh." She wheezed.

Vilkas rolled his eyes. "Like I said. Getting yourself killed."

"I'm not going back to Jorrvaskr now. I'm already all the way up here!"

"It doesn't matter either way. It's too dark to get all the way back to Whiterun, and you look like you'd collapse halfway there anyways. We'll spend the night just inside the barrow, and we'll return in the morning."

She gave him a wicked glare, and hoisted herself to her feet with some difficulty. "Grab my sword, will you? I can't see it." Her voice dripped with venom, but Vilkas ignored it, stepping away and grabbing the weapon.

"You can get up the stairs, right?" He asked. She narrowed her eyes, and nodded. He frowned, and gestured for her to follow him. "This way."

The heavy doors to the main entrance of the barrow swung open with surprising ease, and as soon as the two Companions stepped inside there was a noticeable difference in temperature. Raelyn shivered beside Vilkas and stepped further into the barrow, but Vilkas held her back.

"There's a light over there." He whispered. "Someone else is in here."

She frowned. "It's probably just a leftover torch from those assholes outside. Come on!" She ducked under Vilkas' arm, and continued deeper into the room. But as she rounded the corner, Vilkas saw her freeze, and drop into a low crouch. He crept up beside her, and saw what she had seen. Three armed bandits were sitting around a campfire, the smell of cooking meat drifting from a skewer over the flames.

"What did I tell you?" Vilkas hissed.

"Just shut up!" She groaned quietly, moving a hand to her sheathed sword. Vilkas swatter her hand away from the blade angrily.

"Don't be stupid." He growled. "Stay here."

Before she could protest, he stood and charged the bandits. They were complacent and lazy, probably assuming they were safe here were no locals would dare tread for fear of the draugr inside.

One of them, a tall man with a small axe, stood and growled, "you've picked the wrong time to get lost, friend."

Vilkas only let a wolfish grin creep across his features, and swung his sword, connecting with the nearest bandit, a small woman with bright red hair. She cried out in pain and collapsed, nursing the large wound in her side before falling still. The remaining men roared, and swept towards Vilkas. He ducked to the side, slashing one man across the chest before whirling and striking the other man in the throat. It seemed that only seconds had passed between the bandit's threat and all three of them lying on the floor.

Raelyn stepped forward, eyes wide, and stared at the spot where the bandits had been. "That was… intense."

Vilkas only grimaced, pulling the bodies out of the way. "At least we don't have to make a fire or find food at all. Do you think you can manage to not fall in the fire and sit down? We'll stay here tonight."

Raelyn felt her way to one of the rolls by the fire, sitting down while Vilkas inspected the fat skeever carcass roasting over the flames.

"It isn't exactly venison stew." Vilkas said , neatly sliding the meat off the skewer, "But it'll do."

He grabbed one of the wooden plates lying by the rolls, and put of few pieces of skeever on it, sliding it across to Raelyn. It bumped her leg, and she looked down in surprise before realizing what it was and carefully taking it into her lap. Vilkas sat back after finishing his own portion.

"I'll take first watch." He said, eyeing Raelyn who suddenly seemed inexplicably unable to keep her eyes open.

"What? I can do it!" She mumbled. "Just because I don't see the same way as you doesn't mean I can't keep watch."

"It has nothing to do with your blindness." Vilkas said, exasperated. "And more to do with the face that you look like you'll be asleep in the next 30 seconds."

She groaned, pushing the plate away and flopping down on the roll. "Fine. You win this time." Her eyes fluttered closed, and within a few moments her breaths evened and it was evident she had fallen asleep.

Vilkas stayed awake, eyes fixed forward and wondering how the hell he had gotten himself mixed up in this mess.

…**x.X.x…**

I was woken a few hours later, with Vilkas shaking me.

"Get up."

"Rrrgh." I groaned, swatting at his hand and flipping over.

"It's light out. We can head back now."

His words trickled into my brain, and I shot up when my mind finally registered what he had said. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"It's only been about four hours. It was late when we got here."

"Oh." I nodded, trying to figure out how to convince him that I was going in whether he liked it or not. Eventually I just thought, _fuck it,_ and said, "I'm not leaving yet."

He stood and looked at me for a moment before shaking his head in frustration. "Why are you so adamant on getting yourself killed?"

"Why are you so sure I'll get killed?" I retorted. "If you're so worried why don't you help me?"

He looked up, and I could imagine he was rolling his eyes. "Maybe I should."

I froze. That's not the answer I expected. "Well, I'm going in." I stood, retrieving my swords from beside the bedroll where I'd put them last night, and slid them into their sheathes.

He sighed loudly. "I told Farkas we'd be back in a couple of days. If it takes longer and he thinks we're dead, it's your fault."

"Fine." I growled. I was still for a moment before coming to an embarrassing realization. "Um… do you mind… opening the door to the barrow?"

Another exasperated sigh, and he walked a small distance away. I heard the creaking, and felt the space around us expand.

"Thank you."

We walked through the tomb in a bit of an awkward silence. Every once in a while I would trip over a loose stone or ridge, and he would silently help me reorient myself. When we began encountering draugr, I wordlessly cut down the ones that were still asleep, trusting Vilkas to understand that I wasn't crazy.

"Hold up." Vilkas stopped short when we entered a slightly larger room than before.

A lone man was messing with some contraption in the center of the room. He pulled a lever, and suddenly there was the sound of many things whizzing through the air. He let out a cry of pain and fell before his life force faded.

"It's a trap." I whispered.

"I… I'm not sure what to make of this." Vilkas muttered, glancing around the room.

"What is it?"

"There are three pillars here. They seem to rotate. They are three sided, with pictures of whales, snakes, and… moths? I suppose it's some sort of combination lock."

I frowned, stomping my foot in irritation. "Damn. Is there anything that might tell us what the combination is?"

Vilkas shrugged, scanning the room. "I don't think s- wait. There are pictures on the wall. They have the same symbols as the pillars."

I grinned, relieved. "That must be the combination then! What is it?"

"Two snakes and a whale." He moved forward, and pushed something around. I heard stone grinding on stone, and he moved on to the next two. When he finished, he stepped back, pulling me with him. "Might as well be careful."

He pulled a bow off his back, and reached out, hooking onto the lever with the long weapon. He pulled, and with a click, the lever slipped back.

We braced ourselves for a rain of darts, but all was silent. Until, that is, I heard metal on stone along with a triumphant shout from Vilkas. "The door's opened!"

We continued down, with a few draugr deciding to get in our way. They were easily dispatched, and we kept walked. Suddenly three small creatures skittered around the corner, and hissed at us before leaping at us with sharp teeth. I swatted one away with a noise of disgust, and Vilkas swept his sword across the other two, kicking the carcasses away with a similar noise. I stepped forward around the corner, and was promptly greeted by a face full of sticky web. I spluttered and wheeled back into Vilkas' chest, wiping uselessly at my face. Vilkas stepped around me, brandishing his sword. As I wiped the last of the web off my face, I saw the form of a large, unnatural creature. It was massive, with many spindly legs and gnashing pincers. I had to reach far into my memory to recall what it was, but when it came to me I could hardly believe it. Even as Vilkas cut it down, I couldn't believe a spider could grow to that size. I shivered, and followed Vilkas down deeper into the barrow.

When we heard the shouting, we both froze.

"Help me! Get me down from here!"

I ran past Vilkas, spying a slender form struggling against something on the wall. I was about to run to help him when Vilkas shouted, "Raelyn! Above you!"

I looked up, and saw a massive form descending quickly towards me. It was a spider like the last one, but this one was at least twice as big. I ducked and rolled to the side, spitting out old webbing as I came back up to my feet. The spider was standing where I had been a few seconds ago, and as it hissed it turned to face me. I grimaced as a few drops of acrid liquid splashed across my face, although luckily not enough to burn. I wiped it off gingerly with the back of my hand, and held my swords out in front of me, one in each hand. The spider reared up for a moment, its front legs waving in the air, and I took the opportunity to leap forward and stab it in the gut. It came toppling down over me, and I was forced to the ground as the behemoth flailed uselessly against the blade now lodged solidly in its abdomen. Its legs struck me several times in the shoulder and head, and I struggled to worm my way out from underneath it. Finally, I got to a position where I could move my arms, and I lashed out with my other sword, pulling myself out as well as slicing several of its legs off.

I stood quickly, turning on the spider just in case it attempted another attack, but it only lay lopsided on the ground. It's life force was dimming painfully slowly. I winced at the realization that it was dying a slow, horrible death, and approached it carefully. When its only reaction was to try to crawl away, and I made a decision, and swiftly lopped off its head. It went still and disappeared from my view.

Everything was quiet for a moment. I sheathed my sword and cursed under my breath when I realized the other one was still stuck on the spider that I could no longer see.

"Um, Vilkas?"

"Hmm?"

"My sword."

He made a small noise of understanding, and pulled the sword out of the spider, and it to me with a nod. "That was… impressive. I didn't realize how good you've gotten."

"Thank you." I said, now feeling somewhat awkward at the unexpected praise. Luckily, we were interrupted before I could say anything else.

"Hey! Get me down from here!"

…**x.X.x…**

**Woo! That was a longer chapter than normal. Let me know if you guys like them longer, or even longer than this one. They take a bit longer to write, and this one was born simply out of the flow of the story in this chapter.**

**Sorry it took a bit longer than expected to post. I told DeviantArt reader Empress-Natalya that it would be up soon, and hopefully a day wasn't too long!**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the action in this chapter! It takes some practice, but I feel like I'm improving at fight scenes. Just take a look at my other story ( only) and you'll probably see what I'm talking about.**

**Please leave constructive or supportive feedback! I love all your guy's comments and everyone who reviews gets an internet hug *hugs all of you*. Ciao!**

**~ElderSkie**


	8. Chapter 8

_Lights will guide you home_

_And ignite your bones_

_And I will try_

_To fix you_

"_Fix You – Coldplay"_

…**x.X.x…**

"Get me down! Hurry up, I'm not getting any younger over here!"

Vilkas let out a small growl, and stalked over to the struggling figure. Two quick swipes of his sword sent the man, who looked about the size and stature of a bosmer, crumpling unceremoniously to the ground. He made a hoarse noise of indignation when, before he could get to his feet, Vilkas but a boot on his chest, effectively pinning him.

"You'd think," Vilkas drawled dramatically, "that a helpless little elf would be a bit grateful when rescued from certain death at the hands of a venomous monster. Although I guess it's possible you wanted us to leave you to the spider?"

The bosmer swallowed audibly, almost visibly shrinking in on himself. "Hey, now, let's not get hasty here. I'd been up there a while! Which I assure you, would shorten even the most even tempers." He spoke with the warm, slithering tones of a practiced negotiator.

"What are you doing down here?" I asked, suddenly realizing that, other than the dragonstone, there was no obvious reason for anyone other than bandits to be down here. Bandits… and thieves.

"Ah, a beautiful lady accompanies you, I see." He cooed, reminding me of the piggish bandits outside the barrow. I bristled at the slimy connotation of his words."Well, miss, I'm here on a little… expedition, you could say. Treasure hunting, you know."

"Grave robbing." I was not convinced.

"Well, they don't exactly need it now, do they? Besides, what I'm doing is hardly grave robbing." He cocked his head slightly from his vantage point on the floor and appeared to be studying me. "And I could ask the same of you, after all. What could someone as noble as you be doing here?"

"We're here on a job," I said coldly, "of honorable intentions. Makes me wonder what we should do with you."

He squirmed, making it painfully evident how powerless he was against us as he struggled to escape from underneath Vilkas' hold. "I'm sure we can come to an understanding. You'll get a cut, of course, for you generosity. Minimum grave robbing involved."He stopped, looking up at Vilkas. "I trust you'll have a clearer head than the lady. Surely you can see the wisdom in this."

Vilkas lowered his blade, so that the tip hovered dangerously around the bosmer's neck. "I wouldn't insult 'the lady' if I were you. After all, I'm sure my Shield-sister here could take care of you herself."

The man froze, and then his squirming renewed. "Oh, forgive me! I didn't realize I've been graced with the presence of the esteemed Companions! But even the most respected groups need funding…"

Vilkas' boot left the bosmer's chest, and he sat up, nodding. "I see you've come to your senses. Now about-"

Before he could continue, Vilkas' blade tapped him underneath his chin. He stopped, holding his hands in the air. "Why shouldn't I cut you down now, thief?" Vilkas said, his voice low and menacing.

"Payment, Companion! After I get my hands on the goal, of course. You can see plainly I'm not equipped to fight you… what will I do?"

After a tense moment, Vilkas nodded, and allowed the elf to get to his feet. He bowed low to us, and, in the blink of an eye, took off running.

"Fools! Why would I share the treasure with the likes of you?" His shout echoed down the corridors. Vilkas bolted after him, and I followed before tripping over a loose root. I fell to my knees, and when I looked up, Vilkas was gone. I heard a shout of pain from ahead, and a small thud, and then everything went silent.

Without the guiding forms of Vilkas or the grave robber, everything was black. I moved forward hesitantly on my hands and knees, panic rising in me. "Wait!"

The sound of metal armor clanking quickly approached before Vilkas rounded the corner in a rush. "Raelyn! I hadn't realized you'd fallen behind!"

I staggered to my feet, still somewhat shaken by the sudden complete darkness. It had never bothered me so much before, and I didn't know why it did now. "'S alright. I just tripped."

We stood awkwardly silent for a moment before I let out a small cough. "Let's go, then."

We only walked a short distance down the winding tunnel before Vilkas put an arm out in front of me, sending me to a rather graceless stop and he kicked something away with a small huff. A heavy shifting sound came from the thing, and I pushed down the thought that this was obviously the thief's body.

"What's this?" Vilkas' remark brought me out of my reverie, and I started with surprise when he knelt down by the body. When he stood again, he was holding something.

"What is it?" I asked, confused.

"It looks like the claw of a hawk or eagle of some sort." I could almost hear the frown in Vilkas' voice. "But it's solid gold by the looks of it. There are symbols on the bottom… they're similar to the ones in the puzzle room."

"Hmmm." I held my hand out, and thankfully he took the hint, placing it in my open palm. It was bigger then I though, and heavy. I _wouldn't_ be surprised if it was solid gold.

"I suppose we should bring it with us, if it has those symbols." I remarked, running a finger over one side of it and feeling several etchings that seemed they might make pictures.

"I… I suppose we should."

We continued, just as silent and uncomfortable as when we first entered the barrow. Few more draugr bothered us, and any that did were cut down immediately. I felt that we were both in a hurry to leave this place; I could practically feel the dark magic hanging around the tunnels, the magic that created the draugr and did it's best to eradicate the living. Vilkas was noticeably tense beside, practically jumping at every haphazardly kicked pebble and muffled skitter of small creatures in the dark corners.

We finally came a long hallway. It was different from the others, though. Even I could feel the size of the chamber, spanning a good ten feet higher and wider then it had previously. When I felt the space closing in front of me I stopped, sure I had merely stumbled to close to a wall. But Vilkas approached, holding a hand out to it and grasping something on the wall.

"What's this?" He seemed to ask of no one. I frowned.

"I don't know Vilkas. In case you'd forgotten, you're probably a little bit more aware then I am. My guess would be a wall, but who knows, maybe it's actually a portal through time and space."

"Oh shut it." Vilkas snapped, never looking away from the wall. "It looks like a door of some kind. But no door I've ever seen." He pushed on something, and I heard stone grinding on stone as something spun around in front of me. "Aha! It's another combination lock!"

"Well what's the combination?" I asked. "Is it on the walls again?"

"No. But I wonder…" He nodded to himself. "Give me the claw."

I handed it to him. "Do you think the carvings…?"

"I'm not sure." He studied it closer, and turned back to the door. "But the symbols are the same. It's worth a try." I heard more spinning, until he stepped back satisfied. "That should do it."

I stood quietly for a few moments. Nothing happened.

"Is there anything else?"

"Oh." He sounded almost sheepish. "I think the claw is the handle. Hold on-"

He pressed the claw to the door, and leapt back in surprise. I heard more stone on stone, and realized it was moving. "Wha-"

The sound became louder, and I sensed to wall disappearing. "It worked!"

We stepped through, and Vilkas pried the claw from the door. I walked further into the room, which I could now tell was enormous. I couldn't sense the walls or ceiling at all. "Are we… still inside?"

"Aye." Vilkas confirmed, his voice filled with awe. "It's huge. Here- I think we need to go up here."

I followed him across the room, taking my time when we came to a set of stairs. When I got to the top, what I saw- or what I was aware or, at least - made me freeze.

I could sense that there was a wall in front of me. But what I was made no sense- a strange marking, glowing like it was alive.

"Vilkas?" I mumbled, completely unsure of myself. "Do you see that?"

He came up behind me, following my gaze. "The wall? They're in many Nordic tombs around here. Some say they're leftovers from the dragons, but I say it's just some religious nonsense from back in the day."

"No." I shook my head absently, completely captivated by the symbol. "The… the word." I only realized what it was as the words left my mouth. I could understand, mostly because someone was speaking to me. A voice hissed in my head, slippery and ancient. "It's speaking."

"What? I don't know what you-"He stepped back. "Raelyn? You wouldn't happen to know why the wall is glowing, would you?"

I was barely aware of his question. "It's speaking." I whispered hoarsely, stepping towards the wall.

"Wait, Raelyn, I don't know if that's a good idea-" But I was already walking reverently towards it, focused only on the word.

_Fus._

The sound of Vilkas' shouts barely registered in my mind.

_Fus._

Suddenly the words were right in front of me. The speaking was incredibly loud now, drowning everything else. It wrapped around me like a blanket, cloaking me. I didn't even start when the glowing leapt from the word towards me, streaming through and around me. I gasped and fell to my knees as the world exploded into light. An image streaked into my mind. A curved wall, many symbols etched into it, and a single word glowing with unearthly blue light.

_**Fus.**_

I fell back, and the image moved, to show an impossibly high ceiling, stone embankments stretching along it. A man stepped over me, looking down at me with concern. He was tall and muscular, with black hair and shocking blue eyes peering from a handsome face.

"Raelyn? Are you alright?"

His voice was familiar but I couldn't quite place it. I smiled dazedly, and muttered, "you have very blue eyes, sir."

And then everything went black.

…**x.X.x…**

"Raelyn!" Vilkas' cries were falling on deaf ears. Raelyn's eyes had shifted in a moment from unnaturally focused to completely dilated, reflecting the blue light coming from the wall. She took another step towards the wall and fell with a small gasp as light flew from the wall into her. Her face was like stone as she stared unblinking at the glowing symbol on the wall.

"_Fus."_

The word left her lips as a raw whisper, and then she fell back.

Vilkas rushed towards her, shame gnawing at him as he realized that he had stood and stared while strange magic assaulted his Shield-sister.

"Raelyn!"

He knelt down next to her, scanning her body for strange markings or wounds. She looked at him, eyes wide and expression somewhat stunned.

"Raelyn?" He repeated. "Are you alright?"

She looked up at him, a funny look coming over her face.

"You have very blue eyes, sir." She muttered. Then she promptly fell limp, eyes closed.

It took a moment for her words to sink in. When they did, Vilkas grabbed her shoulders, shaking her gently, trying to wake her. "Raelyn! How did you-" He sat back, shocked at the sudden turn of events.

Raelyn had been able to _see _what color his eyes were.

Her brows knitted together, and she sat up with a small groan. "What happened? I feel strange-"

"Raelyn." Vilkas interrupted, still kneeling. "Open your eyes."

She blinked, her gaze coming to rest on him. "Oh. I guess I have to recast my spell. Hold on one second-"

"You can't see me?"

She looked at him, a somewhat amused expression crossing her face. "Of course not. You know that."

"You told me my eyes are blue."

Her amusement magnified, a chuckle escaping her. "Did I? Well, I suppose they might be."

"No." Vilkas felt suddenly very shaken. "You looked right at me, told me I have blue eyes, and fell asleep."

Raelyn's expression fell, realization dawning on her face. "Wait… you mean." Her eyes widened. "But I though that was a- but no, I don't dream anymore do I?" She fell back against the wall, closing her eyes tightly. "I- I saw you. I saw what you look like. Why? How? I- I can't see!"

Vilkas remained silent. He prayed to all the Divines he could think of that she would not have breakdown, because she certainly looked like she was about to fall apart.

She took a deep breath, evidently trying to calm herself. "Vilkas?" She asked slowly. "Do you have black hair?"

"Aye."

She put a hand to her head, clutching at her hair. "Oh gods. What in Oblivion-"

She wasn't allowed to continue however, because at that moment an ominous creaking sounded behind the two Companions.

Vilkas whipped around, already on edge, and saw the stone platform that he had thought was a table shift. It clattered to the ground with an earth-shaking crash, and a low growl was heard from the now-open sarcophagus. Vilkas shot to his feet, and Raelyn a bit more slowly, as… something… climbed out.

It looked like any other draugr they had been fighting, but it was much, much bigger. A sturdy, ornate helmet sat loosely on its shrunken skull, and bulky armor protected most of it's torso. It shook itself off, as if shaking off a deep sleep, and looked at the two warriors for a moment, regarding them. Then, it opened it's mouth and a feral cry ripped from its throat.

"_Fus Ro!"_

A concussive wave exploded from it's maw, sending Vilkas and Raelyn half-flying and half-stumbling backwards. It leapt forward while they were distracted, raising its massive axe high above its head. Vilkas steadied himself just in time, bringing his own sword up to intercept the axe with the screech of clashing metal. The blow jarred his shoulders, and he slid back a few inches before he could completely halt the momentum of the weapon. By now Raelyn was back on her feet, and she brandished her sword, twisting around him and the draugr to take a vicious swipe at its side. Vilkas realized in dismay that, while armor would not matter against a spider, against the draugr she had no idea where to place her hits. It rebounded off the solid chestplate, and she reeled back before coming forward again. While the draugr was focused on her, Vilkas whirled, slicing it's head clean off its shoulders from the back.

It slumped to the ground, any unnatural life leaving it instantly.

Raelyn stepped back hesitantly. "I really hope this is just some gods-forsaken nightmare, because this is just all too weird for me to handle right now."

Vilkas noticed a strange, square mound under the draugrs decrepit fur cloak. He knelt, moving the garment aside and retrieving a square stone tablet. It was about the size of a large book, and had strange symbols etched into it. He held it up for Raelyn to see before remembering that she couldn't, and moving to look at again. "I think this is what you came for. It's looks like something a mage would be interested in."

"I hope so." She shivered. "I want to get out of here. Do you feel a draft?"

He did. "It might be a shortcut out." He followed the stream of air, Raelyn following behind, until he came to a rough stone door in the back of the chamber. There was a pull chain, which, when pulled, opened the door.

The remainder of the tunnels felt even more oppressive than the rest of the barrow combined. But only fifteen minutes later, Vilkas spotted sunlight ahead.

The cold Skyrim air had never felt so amazing as when they exited the barrow. Raelyn shivered beside him, reminding him that she may not agree so much. They trekked down the mountain, all too aware that it was still a long walk back to Whiterun.

…**x.X.x…**

**Yay! It's done!**

**Arvel, you douchebag.**

**I'm not sure about this chapter, but I'm happy with the contents (if that makes sense?).**

**Please leave critiques, comments, questions, etc. in the comments! 3 Every one of you! Ciao!**

**~ElderSkie**

**Edit: words and things**


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